Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Press: Transgender People

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on trans people of press reports that use a trans person's former name.

Julia Lopez: The Government strongly supports editorial independence and does not interfere with what the press publishes. However, with freedom comes responsibility and the press is required to abide by the law of the land.There is an independent self-regulatory regime to ensure that the press adheres to a wider set of clear and appropriate standards, and to offer individuals a means of redress where these are not met.The majority of traditional publishers—including 95% of national newspapers by circulation—are members of IPSO. A small number of publishers have joined Impress, while others, including the Financial Times and the Guardian, have chosen to stay outside either self-regulator with their own detailed self-regulatory arrangements.The regulators enforce codes of conduct that provide guidelines on a range of areas. If they find that a newspaper has broken the code of conduct, they can order corrections. IPSO can also order critical adjudications and Impress can levy fines. IPSO has produced guidance on researching and reporting stories involving transgender individuals. The guidance Impress has published on its standards code also includes information on this subject.

Culture: Finance

Ben Everitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of the proposal by culture industry organisations for a Smart Fund to ensure creators and performers are paid for their work.

Julia Lopez: The Government agrees that creators should be fairly remunerated, and it is encouraging to see proposals from the sector to support creators and fair remuneration. Department for Culture, Media and Sport Ministers and officials have been engaging with the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) and other interested parties on their proposal for a Smart Fund and I wrote to them last month.Introducing statutory levies can present significant challenges and we encourage the campaign to work with the tech industry to explore options for industry-led solutions.

Copyright: ICT

Ben Everitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of strengthening copyright provisions to help prevent the work of artists, performers and writers being copied and used on electronic devices without the permission of or remuneration to its creator.

Julia Lopez: With a few limited exceptions, it is a copyright infringement to copy and use creative works on electronic devices without the copyright owner’s permission. A range of civil, and in some cases criminal, remedies are available where an infringement has taken place. Many rightsholders take additional measures against infringement by applying technological protection measures to their works.The Government takes copyright infringement seriously and the Intellectual Property Office supports activities to help copyright owners enforce their rights. These include awareness raising, coordinating industry action, and direct enforcement in conjunction with the police.We have no current plans to review copyright protection in this area.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Billing

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the proportion of invoices her Department paid to small and medium-sized enterprises within five days in the 2021-2022 financial year.

Julia Lopez: All government departments publish payment performance quarterly showing the percentage of invoices paid in 5 days, the percentage of invoices paid in 30 days, and net debt interest liability. In addition, in accordance with 113 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015, Contracting Authorities are required to publish annually the percentage of invoices paid in 30 days online.This is available on GOV.UK. DCMS payment performance is available here.The Procurement Bill, currently passing through Parliament, will create a simpler and more transparent procurement regime that will further open up public procurement to SMEs. The Bill includes a new duty on contracting authorities to have regard to the particular barriers facing SMEs.Specifically, the Procurement Bill will imply 30 day payment terms into every sub-contract that is substantially for the purpose of performing a public contract. This will ensure SMEs at every tier of the public supply chain can benefit from faster payments, even if 30 day terms aren't explicitly written into the contract.

Digital Broadcasting and Radio

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including measures on supporting providers of (a) radio and (b) other audio services on digital platforms in the forthcoming Media Bill.

Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including measures on supporting providers of (a) radio and (b) other audio services on digital platforms in the forthcoming Media Bill.

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including measures on supporting providers of (a) radio and (b) other audio services on digital platforms in the forthcoming Media Bill.

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of including measures that support UK radio and audio on digital platforms in the forthcoming Media Bill.

Julia Lopez: The Government has today published Command Paper CP 822, which contains a draft Media Bill.The draft Bill contains measures which will ensure that UK radio remains available to listeners via their smart speakers over the coming years, while providing scope for innovative collaboration and partnerships between stations and the smart speaker platforms.

Digital Broadcasting and Radio

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Prime Minister and (b) other Cabinet colleagues on the level of support for UK radio and audio in the forthcoming Media Bill.

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on including support for UK radio and audio in the Media Bill.

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the Prime Minister on support for UK radio and audio in the forthcoming Media Bill.

Julia Lopez: The Government has today published Command Paper CP 822, which contains a draft Media Bill.The draft Bill contains measures which will ensure that UK radio remains available to listeners via their smart speakers over the coming years, while providing scope for innovative collaboration and partnerships between stations and the smart speaker platforms.

World Heritage Sites

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to publish the new UK Tentative List of potential future UNESCO world heritage sites.

Julia Lopez: We are concluding the review of the UK Tentative List and expect to make a public announcement in the Spring.

Home Office

Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre: Legal Aid Scheme

Kate Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Detained Duty Advice Scheme surgeries took place (a) in total and (b) in person at Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre from (i) 28 December 2021 and 30 June 2022 and (ii) 1 July 2022 to date.

Kate Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women in Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre have been provided advice via a Detained Duty Advice Scheme surgery between (a) 28 December 2021 and 30 June 2022 and (b) since 1 July 2022; and what proportion of those women have been provided with advice via an in-person surgery.

Kate Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women in Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre have been signed up via the legal help scheme following a Detained Duty Advice Scheme surgery (a) between 28 December 2021 and 30 June 2022 and (b) since 1 July 2022; and what proportion of those women had further in-person attendances with a firm on the DDAS rota following an advice surgery.

Robert Jenrick: The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) operates free legal advice surgeries in immigration removal centres (IRCs) in England under the Detained Duty Advice Scheme (DDAS). Individuals who are detained are entitled to receive up to 30 minutes of advice regardless of financial eligibility or the merits of their case. There is no restriction on the number of surgeries an individual may attend. If an individual who is detained requires substantive advice on a matter which is in scope of legal aid, full legal advice can be provided if the statutory legal aid means and merits criteria are met. From Monday 3 April 2023 all DDAS appointments will be facilitated in-person. Individuals detained in IRCs can also access privately commissioned legal advice, including legally aided advice provided through means other than the DDAS. Data on the number of women who have signed up via the legal help scheme following a DDAS surgery, and the proportion of those women who had further in-person appointments with a firm on the DDAS rota following an advice surgery, is not held centrally and therefore cannot be provided.

UK Border Force: Staff

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff Border Force Maritime Command had on 1 March 2023.

Robert Jenrick: For security reasons, we do not give out figures of how many staff are working at a given time.The latest published staffing figures for Border Force can be found in the Home Office Annual Report for 2021-2022.Home Office annual report and accounts: 2021 to 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Slavery: Victims

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of how many people resident in the UK are victims of (a) human trafficking and (b) modern slavery.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office publishes statistics of potential victims of modern slavery referred to the National Referral Mechanism. These are based on potential victims who are identified by a range of first responders and are not estimates. The 2022 statistics can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1139171/modern-slavery-national-referral-mechanism-and-duty-to-notify-statistics-uk-end-of-year-summary-2022.ods.Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service and can be accessed here: https://beta.ukdataservice.ac.uk/datacatalogue/studies/study?id=8910.

Windrush Compensation Scheme

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the cost to claimants of applying for compensation under the Windrush compensation scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: We have designed the Windrush Compensation Scheme to be as clear and simple as possible; the Home Office does not charge claimants to apply for compensation under the Scheme.The claim forms and guidance can either be requested as a hard-copy or downloaded for free from GOV.UK: Windrush Compensation Scheme: claim forms and guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).Once the claim form has been completed, it can either be posted to the Scheme’s freepost address or it can be emailed to the Scheme for free.Our claimant assistance provider, We Are Digital provides free impartial advice and support with completing a claim form. The Windrush Help Team also assists individuals should they have questions about the claim form or process.

Asylum

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of Section 95 Asylum Support, in the context of the cost-of-living crisis.

Robert Jenrick: From 21 December 2022, the government increased the main rate of asylum support that is provided under sections 4 and 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 to £45 per week on an interim basis.The level of allowance is reviewed annually to ensure it meets the sufficient living needs of asylum seekers. We are undertaking this year’s asylum support review and will announce the outcome through amendments to the Asylum Support Regulations 2000.

Refugees

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how her Department plans to determine the level of the annual cap on the number of refugees who will be allowed to settle in the UK.

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to consult with organisations representing refugees and asylum seekers when determining the level of the annual cap on the number of refugees who will be allowed to settle in the UK.

Robert Jenrick: As the Home Secretary set out in her 7 March 2023 statement, the Illegal Migration Bill will introduce an annual cap, to be agreed by Parliament, on the number of refugees the UK will resettle via safe and legal routes. This cap will be amendable in response to humanitarian emergencies, and, in setting the cap, we will engage with local authorities to determine their capacity to accommodate and support individuals. Our intention, as outlined in the Bill, is to engage with relevant organisations as necessary to understand the UK’s capacity to accommodate and support those who arrive on safe and legal routes. The annual cap pertains exclusively to safe and legal routes and does not apply to asylum seekers.

Visas: British National (Overseas)

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether people who are granted Leave To Enter under a British National Overseas Visa are entitled to get married in the UK.

Robert Jenrick: Holders of a Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa who are already in the UK can get married in the UK. Information about marriages and immigration status in England and Wales is available here: Marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales: If you or your partner are from outside the UK or Ireland - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Marriages in Scotland and Northern Ireland are a matter for the devolved administrations.

Immigration: Applications

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to accept requests to expedite Further Leave To Remain (Family and Private Life) applications where financial hardship can be evidenced.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to accept requests to expedite Further Leave To Remain (Family and Private Life) applications where disruption to education or training can be evidenced.

Robert Jenrick: Requests can be made to the Home Office to expedite Family and Private Life applications. This does not mean the request will be accepted, only in the most compelling or compassionate circumstances will an application be expedited.Expedite requests should be accompanied with supporting evidence. Home Office staff will consider any expedite requests on their individual merits.

Asylum: Employment

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of allowing asylum seekers to work on (a) the economy and (b) the level of job vacancies.

Robert Jenrick: Asylum seekers are allowed to work in the UK if their claim has been outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own. Those permitted to work are restricted to jobs on the Shortage Occupation List. A review of the policy concluded in December 2021 and there will be no changes to the policy at this time.

Visits Abroad: Rwanda

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the list of news organisations that attended to report on her recent trip Rwanda was drawn up; and what assessment she has made of the compatibility of that list with the Government Communications Service Propriety Guidance on the need for media officers to establish their impartiality and neutrality with the news media by dealing with all news media evenhandedly.

Robert Jenrick: Due consideration of the GCS guidelines is undertaken in Home Office communications.All news organisations were kept informed of the progress of the visit regardless of whether they attended or not.

Visits Abroad: Rwanda

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she made an assessment of the impact of the Government Communications Service Propriety Guidance on the list of organisations invited to accompany her on the visit to Rwanda in March 2023.

Robert Jenrick: Due consideration of the GCS guidelines is undertaken in Home Office communications.All news organisations were kept informed of the progress of the visit regardless of whether they attended or not.

Home Office: Billing

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the proportion of invoices her Department paid to small and medium-sized enterprises within five days in (a) the 2021-2022 financial year and (b) each of the last 12 months.

Chris Philp: All government departments publish payment performance quarterly showing the percentage of invoices paid in 5 days, the percentage of invoices paid in 30 days, and net debt interest liability. This is available on GOV.UK. The Home Office’s payment performance is available at:Home Office prompt payment data 2021 to 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Home Office prompt payment data 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)In addition, in accordance with Regulation 113 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015, Contracting Authorities are required to publish annually the percentage of invoices paid in 30 days online. This is available at page 45 of the Home Office’s Annual Report and Accounts for financial year 2021-22:Home_Office_ARA_21-22_Final_-_Gov.uk.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)The Procurement Bill, currently passing through Parliament, will create a simpler and more transparent procurement regime that will further open up public procurement to SMEs. The Bill includes a new duty on contracting authorities to have regard to the particular barriers facing SMEs.Specifically, the Procurement Bill will imply 30 day payment terms into every sub-contract that is substantially for the purpose of performing a public contract. This will ensure SMEs at every tier of the public supply chain can benefit from faster payments, even if 30 day terms aren't explicitly written into the contract.

UK Border Force

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding her Department allocated to Border Force Maritime Command in the 2022-23 financial year.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding her Department allocated to Border Force Maritime Command in the 2021-22 financial year.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding her Department allocated to Border Force Maritime Command in the 2020-21 financial year.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office does not hold this information at the level of granularity sought in our financial systems; funding (budget) information is available only at overall directorate level and not at individual command/ unit levels However, previous published staffing and financial figures for Border Force from 2020 to 2022 can be found at the following links:Home Office annual report and accounts: 2020 to 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Home Office annual report and accounts: 2021 to 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

UK Border Force: Staff

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the total number of full time equivalent staff currently employed within the Small Boats Operational Command; how many new members of staff have joined the Small Boats Operational Command since 31 January 2023; and when she expects to meet her target to recruit 700 new members of staff to Small Boats Operational Command.

Robert Jenrick: For security reasons, we do not give out figures of how many staff are working at a given time or location.The latest published staffing figures for Border Force can be found in the Home Office Annual Report for 2021-2022 Home Office annual report and accounts: 2021 to 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Immigration: Enforcement

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many enforcement visits were carried out by Immigration Enforcement Officers in relation to suspected illegal working offences in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

Robert Jenrick: Information about the number of Enforcement Visits conducted by Immigration Enforcement in relation to suspected illegal working offences is not available in our published data. Our published data on returns is available at the following link: Border control - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Property Management Companies

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that (a) Right to Manage Companies and (b) Residential Management Companies who do not wish to exercise the option of appointing a building safety director will be able discharge their obligations under Part 4 of the Building Safety Act 2022.

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that resident directors in charge of Right-to-Manage companies and Resident Management Companies who do not wish to exercise the option of appointing a building safety director will be able to secure insurance cover against the new liabilities arising from Part 4 of the Building Safety Act 2022.

Lee Rowley: As set out by Dame Judith Hackitt in 2018, in her Building a Safer Future report, 'A step change is…needed to place greater demands on the new duty holder to manage building safety effectively.' Following the Building Safety Act gaining Royal Assent in 2022, the Building Safety Regulator will make guidance available to accountable persons to assist them in complying with their new duties and/or requirements under Part 4 of the Act.Insurers make individual decisions on whether to offer insurance products and the associated premiums based on a range of factors. We will continue to work with the insurance industry to help them understand the roles and duties in the Building Safety Act 2022 (the Act) and encourage them to provide appropriate cover that is priced fairly and in the best interest of their customers.

Local Government: Elections

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure eligible voters are not turned away due to a lack of photo ID in upcoming elections.

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made on the impact of implementing photo identification at future elections on young people voting.

Dehenna Davison: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 165280 on 17 March 2023.

Local Resilience Forums: Finance

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the UK Government Resilience Framework, published on 19 December 2022, whether he plans to increase funding for Local Resilience Forums.

Dehenna Davison: In late 2021, DLUHC agreed a £22 million three-year funding settlement for Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) in England starting in the 22/23 financial year. This additional UK Government funding compliments the contributions of LRF partners. The UK Government Resilience Framework commits the Government to consider options for funding models for any future expanded responsibilities and expectations of LRFs in England.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Billing

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the proportion of invoices his Department paid to small and medium-sized enterprises within five days in (a) the 2021-2022 financial year and (b) each of the last 12 months.

Dehenna Davison: All government departments publish payment performance quarterly showing the percentage of invoices paid in 5 days, the percentage of invoices paid in 30 days, and net debt interest liability. This is available on GOV.UK here.

Flats: Safety

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the number of residential blocks below 11 metres with building safety faults in (a) the London Borough of Hounslow, (b) London and (c) England; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the adequacy provisions in the Building Safety Act 2022 on protections for leaseholders in regards to the costs of remediation of building safety faults in buildings below 11 metres in height.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department have taken to provide (a) assistance and (b) support for leaseholders and tenants living in residential buildings below 11 metres which have building safety faults.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what protections are available for leaseholders living in buildings below 11 metres in regards to the costs of remediation work for fire safety faults, and if he will make a statement.

Lee Rowley: I refer the Hon. Member to the answers I gave to Questions UIN 163922 and UIN 163923 on 21 March 2023. I also refer the Hon. Member to the oral statement on 14 March 2023 and to my oral answer on 27 March 2023 (Official Report, HC, Volume 730, Column 646).The Government has retrospectively extended the limitation period under Section 1 of the Defective Premises Act 1972 enabling legal action against developers and contractors where works completed in the last 30 years made a dwelling not 'fit for habitation'. It also enables parties to bring civil claims against manufacturers of defective or mis-sold products or if there is a breach of regulations, where these products have caused or contributed to a dwelling being 'not fit for habitation'.   Any leaseholders concerned about works being proposed in their building can seek free information and advice from The Leasehold Advisory Service, funded by the department.

High Rise Flats: Tooting

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress he has made on the cost variation request summitted in October 2022 in relation to Fitzgerald House and the associated cladding remediation quotation in Tooting constituency.

Lee Rowley: Fitzgerald House's application to the Building Safety Fund has been approved for full works and costs. The Applicant is working with their delivery partner (Greater London Authority) to provide the information required for the Fundings Approvals Board to confirm eligibility of the cost variation.

Social Rented Housing: Standards

Samantha Dixon: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure tenants in housing association properties are aware of what actions to take to reduce moisture and damp in their property.

Dehenna Davison: All tenants deserve to live in safe, warm homes that are free from damp and mould. It is social landlord's responsibility to ensure that their homes meet the Regulator of Social Housing's Home Standard, including meeting the requirements of the Decent Homes Standard. The Housing Ombudsman has been clear that damp and mould should not be considered 'lifestyle issues'.

European Social Fund: Northern Ireland

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding has been allocated to organisations in Northern Ireland by the European Social Fund in the 2022-23 financial year.

Dehenna Davison: In Northern Ireland, the European Social Fund is managed by the Department for the Economy.

Mayors: Powers

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2023 to Question 169443 on Mayors: Powers, what were the conclusions of that public sector equalities duty analysis; and if he will place a copy of that analysis in the House of Commons Library.

Dehenna Davison: I refer the Hon. Member to the published letter to ministers relating to PSED assessments. Further announcements and publications will be set out in the usual way.

Housing Revenue Accounts

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of the use of the Housing Revenue Account by (a) City of York Council and (b) other local authorities; and what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to apply to that fund to supporting housing growth in their authority areas.

Rachel Maclean: The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) is not a centrally administered fund that local authorities can draw on. It is a ring fenced account within the authority's general fund, where it accounts for and records income and expenditure relating to its council housing stock. Any local housing authority with more than 200 homes is required to maintain an HRA.Overall delivery of new affordable homes in each local authority by provider is published here.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when his Department plans to bring forward a fund to mitigate against life safety fire risks associated with cladding on buildings that are between 11 and 18 metres in height.

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to issue an equivalent to the developer remediation contract to companies involved in the development of buildings that are between 11 and 18 metres in height in Battersea.

Lee Rowley: We have launched a new scheme to provide funding for the remediation or mitigation of life safety fire risks related to external wall system defects. This is for medium-rise buildings (11-18 metres) where the developer of a building cannot be identified, traced, or held responsible. This scheme opened in November via an initial pilot, targeting an initial number of buildings that have interim measures or simultaneous evacuation measures in place. The wider rollout of the scheme to other buildings will commence in 2023. Further details on eligibility and the application process will be announced as soon as possible.The developer remediation contract applies to buildings of 11 metres and over in height, so buildings between 11 and 18 metres in height are already in scope.

Department of Health and Social Care

Cystic Fibrosis: Prescriptions

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will include Cystic Fibrosis patients on the medical exemption list to make them eligible for free prescriptions on the NHS.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Supply Chain Coordination: Protective Clothing

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish details of the contract agreed for the purchase of Single Use Theatre Protective Clothing by Collaborative Procurement Partnership LLP (CPP LLP) acting on behalf of Supply Chain Coordination Ltd (SCCL), which was valued at £1,774,730,734.19 and awarded on 1 April 2020.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services: Finance

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much and what proportion of annual expenditure by (a) his Department and (b) the NHS is used to fund frontline services.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Quality Commission: Consultants

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much the Care Quality Commission has spent on management consultants to support the organisation’s pay business cases in the financial years (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of staff posts were vacant in the Care Quality Commission as of 10 March 2023.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Care Quality Commission underspent on its staffing budget in the financial year (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times his officials have met with Care Quality Commission's senior leadership team to discuss the organisation’s business case on pay awards for 2022-23.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any redundancies took place at the Care Quality Commission in financial years (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23.

Will Quince: The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) pay business cases were created with external assistance from a management consultancy who were engaged between July 2021 and October 2022. The total cost was £138,824, which can be broken down as a) 2021/22: £59,407 and b) 2022/23: £79,417. There was no such engagement in 2020/21.As of 10 March 2023, 6% of full-time equivalent posts were vacant.CQC has underspent its staffing budgets, which is broken down by year in the table below:2020/212021/222022/23 (year to date)4%4%2%CQC have made the following numbers of redundancies, broken down by year in the table below:2020/212021/222022/23Four1169The figure for redundancies in 2022/23 is higher due to the progression of CQC’s ongoing transformation programme, which led to structural changes within the organisation.CQC are subject to the annual Civil Service pay remit guidance. As sponsor Department, the Department for Health and Social Care is responsible for approval of CQC’s annual pay award. As part of this process, various departmental teams and officials feed into the approvals process, including the Department’s Sponsorship, Human Resources and Finance teams. As part of this, departmental officials across these teams met with CQC to discuss their case at several points throughout the process. For 2022/23, CQC submitted a pay flexibility business case to the Department, which would have required further approvals from the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. This was ultimately withdrawn and CQC submitted a business case in line with the 2022/23 Civil Service pay remit guidance for approval.

Mental Health Services: Artificial Intelligence

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2023 to Question 166295 on Mental Health Services: Artificial Intelligence, how much of the £123 million provided for AI technologies will be designated for the development of AI technologies for mental health treatment.

Maria Caulfield: The National Health Service Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab is supporting the testing and evaluations of the most promising AI technologies that can meet the needs of the NHS Long Term Plan through the AI in Health and Care Award. As part of the Award, £1,933,883 has been awarded to projects related to mental health.

Mental Health Services: Artificial Intelligence

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2023 to Question 166295 on Mental Health Services: Artificial Intelligence, when he plans to publish the results of the app testing.

Maria Caulfield: As part of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Health and Care Award, the National Health Service AI Lab is funding the first real world testing of the WYSA, a digital health app that uses an AI chatbot, and a series of self-care exercises, to provide mental health support and help people develop strategies to manage their mental health. The results from the project are due in August 2023.

Organs: Human Trafficking

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential prevalence of attempts to traffic organ donors into the UK.

Neil O'Brien: No formal assessment has been made.

Hospices: Energy

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the impact that increased energy and other costs are having on hospices and end of life care provision; and what plans he has to support hospices beyond the end of the Government’s Energy Bill Discount Scheme.

Helen Whately: Although no assessment has been made specifically in regard to hospices, following a Treasury-led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme, which will run from April 2023 until March 2024, will continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers, including the health and care sector.At a national level, NHS England has released £1.5 billion in additional funding to integrated care boards (ICBs) to provide support for inflation, with ICBs deciding how best to distribute this funding within their system, including to palliative and end of life care providers such as hospices.Palliative and end of life care, including hospice care, is commissioned locally by ICBs in response to the needs of their local population. Any assessment would therefore be made at a local level.

Special Educational Needs: Health and Social Services

Sir Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure improved engagement and support for children and families from health and social care services as part of the SEND Improvement Plan.

Neil O'Brien: We are working closely with the Department for Education to implement actions set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and Alternative Provision Implementation Plan, with the aim of improving engagement and support for children and young people with SEND and their families.This includes working with the Department for Education to take a joint approach to SEND workforce planning. We will establish a steering group this year to oversee this work, which we aim to complete by 2025. We will be commissioning analysis on the health needs of children and young people with SEND so these can be better met through effective workforce planning.We will improve access to speech and language therapy by including Early Language and Support for Every Child pathfinders within our £70 million Change Programme in partnership with NHS England. The pathfinders will trial new ways of supporting children with speech, language and communication needs in early years and primary schools.Local SEND and AP Partnerships will bring together representatives across early years, schools, further education, alternative and specialist provision, in addition to health, care and other partners, to increase national consistency, putting co-production at the centre of decision making. They will be responsible for working with parents and carers to produce a Local Inclusion Plan setting out the provision and services that should be commissioned in line with the national standards. This will inform the local offer and will be quality assured by the Department for Education.

Dental Services: Halton

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the provision of dentistry in Halton in the last (a) three, (b) six, (c) 12 and (d) 24 months.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dentists there were in (a) Halton, (b) the North West, (c) England and (d) the UK in the last (i) three, (ii) six, (iii) 12 and (iv) 24 months.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of adults that visited a dentist in (a) Halton, (b) the North West, (c) England and (d) the UK in the last (i) three, (ii) six, (iii) 12 and (iv) 24 months.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of children that visited a dentist in (a) Halton, (b) the North West, (c) England and (d) the UK in the last (i) three, (ii) six, (iii) 12 and (iv) 24 months.

Neil O'Brien: State funded healthcare outside of England is a devolved matter and the responsibility respectively of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Governments and for which we do not hold data.NHS Digital publishes Dental Statistics, which is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-dental-statisticsThe following tables provide the published information on the number of National Health Service dentists, and adults and children seen by an NHS dentist in each of the requested areas of England for the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 financial years. Data for 2022/2023 is not yet published and therefore no assessment has been made on the adequacy of NHS dentistry provisions in Halton during the last calendar year. Table one: Dentists per 100,000 population in Halton and EnglandFinancial YearHaltonNational2020/2141.7350.942021/2247.0153.86 Table two: Number of adults seen in the last 24 monthsJune 2022 (Previous 24 months)Local Authority: HaltonNorth-WestEnglandNumber of Adult patients seen37,8772,249,69216,409,636 Table three: Number of children seen in the last 12 months at June 2022 and June 2021Local Authority: HaltonNorth-WestEnglandJune 2022 (Previous 12 months)12,187756,9365,589,201June 2021 (Previous 12 months)7,514507,0593,946,048

Defibrillators: Public Places

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeframe is for the appointment of a new partner to manage the distribution of funds to increase the number of automated external defibrillators in communities; and when he expects the scheme to be open for grant applications.

Helen Whately: The Department is currently in the pre-procurement stage in its process of determining a selected partner for the Automated External Defibrillator Fund.A typical procurement that is compliant with the Public Contract Regulations 2015 can take between three to six months depending on the procurement route chosen.The Department will publish in due course a notice informing interested organisations of the upcoming opportunity and invite them to bid for the grant through GOV.UK.

Heart Diseases: Mortality Rates

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the survival rates of people who suffer an out of hospital cardiac arrest.

Helen Whately: To improve survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases, the National Health Service Long Term Plan sets out that a national network of community first responders and automated external defibrillators will help save up to 4,000 lives each year by 2028.Working with St John Ambulance, 141 community advocates have been recruited to deliver sessions in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillator use. As of December 2022, 163 sessions had been delivered and 3,249 people had been reached by these advocates.The NHS has also been working in partnership with the British Heart Foundation, the Resuscitation Council UK, and the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives to set up The Circuit, which is a national defibrillator network that enables the ambulance services to identify the nearest defibrillator at the time of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and increase the rate of bystander defibrillation.

Prescriptions

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps under the Medicines and Medical Devices Act to extend independent prescribing responsibilities to (a) dietitians, (b) occupational therapists, (c) orthoptists, (d) diagnostic radiographers and (e) speech and language therapists where safe and appropriate to do so within the scope of their professional practice.

Will Quince: Dietitians and diagnostic radiographers can already supply medicines under Patient Group Directions and use supplementary prescribing. Orthoptists can already supply medicines under Patient Group Directions and exemptions which permit certain medicines to be sold, supplied and/or administered to patients.In 2015, NHS England held a public consultation on proposals to enable radiographers to practise as independent prescribers. This consultation concerned both diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers and ran from 27 February 2015 to 27 May 2015. It is available at the following link:https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/independent-prescribing-radiographers/user_uploads/consult-indepndnt-prescrib-radiographers.pdfIn December 2021, the Commission on Human Medicines reconsidered this proposal and provided advice to Ministers to amend the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to allow diagnostic radiographers to independently prescribe. There are no current plans to extend medicines responsibilities further for the other professional groups asked about.

Ministry of Justice

Catalytic Converters: Theft

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the number of prosecutions for theft of catalytic converters in Greater Manchester in each of the last three years.

Edward Argar: This information may be held on court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate costs.

Catalytic Converters: Theft

Elliot Colburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of prosecutions for theft of catalytic converters in London in each of the last three years.

Edward Argar: This information may be held on court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate costs.

Pre-sentence Reports

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether it is his Department's policy to encourage the use of Standard Delivery formats in Pre-Sentence Reports.

Edward Argar: The Probation Service is responsible for producing Pre-Sentence Reports (PSRs) when they are requested by the Court. A PSR includes a sentencing recommendation based on an offender's individual circumstances and consideration of public protection concerns, alongside suitable rehabilitative and punitive requirements.A PSR can be delivered to Courts in a range of formats including the longer written Standard Delivery Report (SDR), and the Short Format Report (SFR) which can be delivered in written or oral format.The key principles for decisions on the format of report delivery to Court are:What information is available to the PSR author and the Court on the day of sentence. Access to information regarding risk from other agencies does inform the risk assessment and so can affect proposals to the court. Where this information is not available on the day, the impact of this needs to be assessed to determine whether a longer adjournment is needed.Complexity of the risk assessment. The presence of factors that require additional assessment, professional discussion, and / or multiple enquiries to aid risk assessment has an important bearing on whether reports should be delivered on the day of request or adjourned for further assessment.As a general rule all report types are suitable for use across the sentencing thresholds. Guidance is available for probation staff to assist them in determining when to request for a longer adjournment to facilitate an SDR report.The Probation Service is working on a range of initiatives to increase the number of cases in which the Courts receive written reports. These are:A pilot scheme across fifteen courts, aimed at targeting written reports at specific cohorts where a more detailed exploration of complex issues relating to trauma, maturity and the loss of liberty may be needed.Rolling out across England and Wales a scheme to provide PSRs on committal from magistrates’ courts to the Crown Court, following a successful pilot in Bristol. The Probation Service continues to utilise a PSR before plea process, which enables PSRs to be prepared on cases ahead of the first hearing if an indication of an intended guilty plea is given.Supporting case progression in appropriate cases with PSRs prepared in advance of first hearing at both Crown and Magistrates’ Courts.

Powers of Attorney: Scotland

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that institutions and organisations in (a) England and (b) Wales are aware of the legal status of Scottish Powers of Attorney.

Mike Freer: Scottish powers of attorney are already recognised and have effect as a matter of law in England and Wales. The Government is currently supporting the Powers of Attorney Bill, which facilitates modernisation of the process for making and registering lasting powers of attorney (LPA) in England and Wales. Modernising this service will require engagement with third party organisations. This provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of recognising LPAs and equivalent documents from Scotland, including how these documents can be recognised, and the appropriate authority to contact if further confirmation is needed.I recently wrote to Patrick Grady MP on this issue as it came up during the passage of the Power of Attorney Bill. A copy of this letter will be available to read in the House library shortly and contains further relevant information.

Ministry of Justice: Billing

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the proportion of invoices his Department paid to small and medium-sized enterprises within five days in (a) the 2021-2022 financial year and (b) each of the last 12 months.

Mike Freer: All government departments publish payment performance quarterly, showing the percentage of invoices paid in 5 days; the percentage of invoices paid in 30 days; and net debt interest liability. The Ministry of Justice pays 85% of submitted invoices within 5 days, and 96% of submitted invoices within 30 days.Ministry of Justice’s payment performance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/procurement#prompt-payment-of-our-suppliers.In addition, in accordance with 113 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015, Contracting Authorities are required to publish annually the percentage of invoices paid in 30 days online. This is also available within the above link.The Procurement Bill, currently passing through Parliament, will create a simpler and more transparent procurement regime that will further open up public procurement to SMEs. The Bill includes a new duty on contracting authorities to have regard to the particular barriers facing SMEs. Specifically, the Procurement Bill will imply 30 day payment terms into every sub-contract that is substantially for the purpose of performing a public contract. This will ensure SMEs at every tier of the public supply chain can benefit from faster payments, even if 30 day terms aren't explicitly written into the contract.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Environment Agency

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any applications to the Environment Agency for limited extended validity have been granted following legal injunctions against the Environment Agency since 2016.

Rebecca Pow: There have been no applications to the Environment Agency for Limited Extended Validity (LEV) for time-limited abstraction licences following legal injunctions against the Environment Agency since 2016. LEV is not applied for and the Environment Agency does not grant LEV. By operation of the law, LEV is automatic when a time-limited abstraction licence is due to expire, an application to renew has been made at least 3 months before the expiry, and the Environment Agency cannot complete the determination before the expiry date.

Sewage: Pollution Control

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to introduce a legally binding target to reduce sewage discharges by 90 per cent by 2030.

Rebecca Pow: Our Storm Overflows Plan balances ambition and pace to clean up our water and protect the environment with impact on consumer bills. Our Plan will see £56 billion capital investment, and an estimated £12 average increase in customer water bills between 2025 and 2030. We ruled out options adding £122 to household bills per year for the same period. The Government will review the targets in 2027. If it is possible to go further and faster while balancing the cost to consumers, we will not hesitate to do so and have made this clear to the water industry.

Environment Agency

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for limited extended validity were made to the Environment Agency in each year since 2016; and how many were yet to be processed by year of application as of 25 March 2023.

Rebecca Pow: No application is necessary for Limited Extended Validity (LEV) and the Environment Agency does not grant LEV. By operation of the law, LEV is automatic when a time-limited water abstraction licence is due to expire, an application to renew has been made at least three months before the expiry, and the Environment Agency cannot complete the determination before the expiry date. LEV allows the licence holder to continue to abstract water under the terms of the original licence until the renewal application is determined. As of 25 March 2023, there were 122 Water Resources licences subject to ongoing time-limited licence renewal applications where LEV has been applied. Please note that this information is not routinely retained within the Environment Agency’s data systems and therefore this figure should be used with a degree of caution. The Environment Agency does not retain a record of applications where LEV has been applied each year once renewal applications have been determined. The number of licences subject to ongoing LEV varies continuously throughout the annual renewals cycle as the Environment Agency grant/refuse applications, particularly at this stage of the cycle as the majority of time limited licences have an end date of 31 March. For those applications that the Environment Agency has not determined, LEV becomes effective once the licence expires.

Batteries: Waste Disposal

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing household kerb-side collection of batteries to help (a) protect workers in the waste and recycling sector (b) reduce the number of fires caused by incorrectly disposed of lithium-ion batteries.

Rebecca Pow: Defra has not made any such assessment yet, but plans to consult on potential reforms to the batteries regulations to help address these issues by the end of the year.

Water Supply: Brent

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce levels of total dissolved solids in tap water in (a) Camden and (b) Brent.

Rebecca Pow: The dissolved solids in tap water supplies are made up of naturally occurring minerals derived from their source waters. The level of total dissolved solids in tap water in both Camden and Brent is consistent with those across southern England and not considered to be at a level that would cause harm to consumers or cause the water to be unpalatable. Therefore, there are no plans to reduce levels of total dissolved solids in tap water in those areas as it is considered unnecessary to do so. For further context the World Health Organization quotes the following for palatability of drinking water: “The palatability of water with a total dissolved solids (TDS) level of less than about 600 mg/l is generally considered to be good” The total dissolved solids in both Camden and Brent are below this level.

Batteries: Waste Disposal

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent the incorrect disposal of lithium-ion batteries.

Rebecca Pow: Defra plans to consult on potential reforms to the batteries regulations to help address this issue by the end of the year.

Local Resilience Forums

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the Risk Assessment and Risk Planning Committee's recommendation to place Local Resilience Forums on a statutory footing.

Rebecca Pow: The Government considered the status of Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) as part of the Post Implementation Review of the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) published in 2022. Evidence collected through a public consultation, dedicated engagement with stakeholders and lessons from recent emergencies did not demonstrate a clear need for making LRFs a legal entity. Legal status could conflict with the duties placed on categorised responders (such as emergency services, local authorities and utilities) and undermine the existing arrangement set out in the Act. The review recognised the need to strengthen LRFs in England and committed in the UK Government Resilience Framework to working across three key pillars of reform - Leadership, Accountability, and Integration of resilience into the UK’s levelling up mission.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Carbon Emissions

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish a strategy on reducing her Department's carbon emissions.

Mark Spencer: The Government is committed to delivering Net Zero by 2050. The Department’s performance and future strategy for reducing carbon emissions is described in its sustainability reports which are published annually with its accounts. The 2021-2022 sustainability report shows that the Department is reducing its emissions through a combination of estate rationalisation and energy efficiency initiatives. The Department emitted 51,099t CO2e in 2021-22. This is a reduction of 32% or 24,000t since 2017/18 The Department is committed to further reducing its greenhouse gas emissions wherever possible and is taking action to meet its targets under the Greening Government Commitments. Further information on reducing emissions will be published in the next annual sustainability report.

Pets: Cost of Living

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of increases in (a) energy and (b) pet food bills on pet ownership.

Rebecca Pow: To support households, the Energy Price Guarantee was put in place as a temporary measure on 1st October 2022 to cap typical energy bills at £2,500 per year. This scheme has cut the typical family energy bill by over £1,300 since October and has now been extended to the end of June this year. The Energy Bill Support Scheme has also helped to reduce household energy bills over the past six months with a £400 discount paid in monthly instalments.Defra officials regularly meet stakeholders to understand the issues and trends affecting the sector, including the impact of the rise in the cost of living on those who care for companion animals. Sector groups are closely monitoring the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and identifying where more support may be needed. We welcome the support they are currently providing through pet food banks and financial support with veterinary treatment which is helping to reduce the pressure on pet owners.

Seed Potatoes: Imports

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an estimate of the average time it took to import seed potatoes from France in the last 12 months.

Mark Spencer: Records are not maintained of the time it takes to import individual consignments of seed potatoes as this is a commercial matter.

Furs: Trade

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to keep fur trade bans in the context of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.

Mark Spencer: The Government is in the process of analysing all retained EU law. This analysis will enable us to determine what should be preserved as part of domestic law and what should be repealed or amended. Current government policy is to retain existing fur measures.

Dogs: Brucellosis

Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cases of Brucella Canis were reported between April 2021 and January 2022; and what data her Department holds on reported cases of Brucella Canis between January 2011 and April 2021.

Mark Spencer: We consider a case to be a single epidemiological event. Each event may involve 1 or more dogs. For example, many cases are just 1 dog (imported rescue dog) while another case may involve a breeder of a litter of dogs where more than 1 dog is infected. So between 1st April 2021 – 31st January 2022: Cases = 35 (37 positive dogs). Prior to April 2020 we have data identifying 3 cases: 2 in 2017 and 1 in 2018 (all single dogs imported from eastern Europe). 1st April 2020 – 31st March 2021: Cases = 14 (53 positive dogs) Total January 2011 – April 2021 is the sum of these 17 cases (56 positive dogs).

Sites of Special Scientific Interest: Agriculture

Sir Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with Natural England on its policy on grazing on sites of special scientific interest; and whether she is taking steps to help ensure the continuation of traditional farming of hefted flocks on Dartmoor.

Trudy Harrison: Grazing on sites of special scientific interest needs to be undertaken carefully and sensitively and should be tailored to the specific site to ensure that the condition of the SSSI site is either maintained or improved. Traditional hefting (or learing as it is known in Dartmoor) of flocks can work alongside this. I will work closely with Natural England to help ensure that sites of special scientific interest can be managed effectively to balance hefting alongside these two elements in Dartmoor.

Forests: Commodities

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce mandatory due diligence for forest risk commodities as set out in the Consultation on implementing due diligence on forest risk commodities: Summary of responses and government response, published in June 2022.

Trudy Harrison: The UK Government has introduced world-leading due diligence legislation through the Environment Act to help tackle illegal deforestation in UK supply chains. We ran a consultation from 3 December 2021 to 11 March 2022 to seek views on the details of regulations that will implement the Environment Act provisions, to ensure that these are designed effectively. The Government published a summary of responses to this consultation on 1 June 2022 and is committed to implementing due diligence provisions at the earliest opportunity through secondary legislation.

Birds of Prey: Animal Breeding and Ownership

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to take steps to review the legal requirements to register (a) ownership and (b) breeding of (i) raptors and (ii) other birds of prey.

Trudy Harrison: The Government does not currently have any plans to amend legal requirements for the ownership and breeding of raptors.

Tree Felling: Plymouth

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with Plymouth City Council on the felling of over 100 trees in Plymouth City Centre.

Trudy Harrison: It is for the local planning authority to consider any development proposals on their individual merits and to decide the appropriate route to granting planning permission where that is required. I have written to Plymouth City Council. We want to see more trees and green spaces close to where people live, not fewer and it is a disappointment when we lose mature trees in the urban environment. However, I understand that the council has a more ambitious plan in place, including planting more trees than felled and that many of the trees may have been in bad shape. Our ambitions outlined in the England Tree Action Plan (ETAP) and the launch of the Nature for Climate Fund Tree Programme make it ever easier to plant new trees and protect those in the existing landscape. We have committed in the ETAP to ensure future planning reforms will lead to more trees being planted and strong protections for existing trees. We offer a suite of technical guidance and funding streams to support local authorities enhance their treescapes.

Trapping

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of 9 January, Official Report column 139WH, what discussions she has had with the devolved administrations on the potential merits of banning the use of snares.

Trudy Harrison: A date is being arranged for a meeting with Lesley Griffiths, MS for Rural Affairs in the Welsh Government after the Easter recess. I will be interested to discuss the Welsh Government’s plans to ban the use of snares in Wales. I also intend to engage with my counterpart in the Scottish Government, particularly with regard to the effectiveness of its existing legislation covering snares and the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission’s recent position paper on the trapping of terrestrial wild mammals using snares. In the meantime, my officials are in regular contact with colleagues in the devolved administrations as this government continues to consider how snares are regulated as part of our continued drive to maintain the highest animal welfare standards in the world.

River Leam: Sewage

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many sewage discharges were made into the River Leam each year since 2010.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Agency collates discharge data from Water and Sewerage Companies for storm overflows and for 2020 and 2021 the data is published here. The 2022 data will be published at the end of March 2023.

Sewage: Monitoring

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has plans to introduce mandatory monitoring of all sewage outlets.

Rebecca Pow: Using powers in the Environment Act, we will require companies to make discharge data available in near real time to the public and monitor water quality upstream and downstream of their assets. This monitoring will be year-round. In the Storm Overflows Reduction Plan, we committed to bringing these provisions into force this year. Water and sewerage companies have published Event and Duration Monitoring (EDM) data of sewage discharges annually since 2020 that can be found here﷟. The 2022 data will be published at the end of March 2023.

Sewage: Coastal Areas

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of sewage spillages on coastal business in England.

Rebecca Pow: It is the responsibility of the water and sewerage companies to ensure they clean up any sewage following pollution incidents, including in coastal areas. This is enforced by the Environment Agency as part of its standard incident response procedures. We have not made an impact assessment specifically on the potential impact of sewage spillages on coastal businesses in England. However, our Storm Overflows Evidence Project assessed the impact of sewage discharges on bathing waters and the social impact where knowledge and visibility of storm overflows causes public concern. We used this evidence to inform our Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, which sets out targets for water companies to improve all storm overflows discharging into or near every designated bathing water by 2035.

Marine Environment

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect (a) puffins, (b) kittiwakes and \(c) other marine life from the industrial fishing of their food source of sandeels; and whether she is taking steps to (i) ban and (ii) restrict supertrawlers from access to UK waters.

Mark Spencer: The Government is concerned about the effects on the marine ecosystem from the removal of forage fish, like sandeels, by industrial fishing. Defra is presently consulting on spatial management measures for industrial fishing for sandeel in English waters of the North Sea. These proposed measures will deliver greater resilience for our sandeel stocks, as well as species which rely on them as a food source, including vulnerable seabirds, commercially valuable fish and marine mammals. We are considering our policies for large pelagic trawlers, commonly known as supertrawlers, and working to develop more robust management of the non-quota species which these vessels are targeting alongside quota stocks. Any action needs to be evidence-based and in line with the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) continues to monitor fishing activity in English waters with dedicated enforcement and surveillance work to protect fisheries, including offshore patrol vessels for at-sea surveillance.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Billing

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the proportion of invoices his Department paid to small and medium-sized enterprises within five days in (a) the 2021-2022 financial year and (b) each of the last 12 months.

Mr Alister Jack: The Scotland Office does not make assessments of the proportion of invoices paid to small and medium-sized enterprises. However, in line with government commitments, we aim to pay 90% of all undisputed and valid invoices from small and medium-sized enterprises within 5 days.

Armed Forces: Scotland

Rob Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the armed forces in Scotland.

Mr Alister Jack: Our armed forces in Scotland play a vital role in defending the whole of the UK. Most recently, I was delighted to see £83m of UK Government investment awarded to RAF Lossiemouth to build a new facility ready for the UK E-7 Wedgetail fleet. This award - and the creation of 125 jobs - is another great example of how UK defence investment is supporting our armed forces in Scotland.

Question

Mary Glindon: Whether he has made a comparative assessment with Cabinet colleagues of energy costs in Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Bill Esterson: Whether he has made a comparative assessment with Cabinet colleagues of energy costs in Scotland and the rest of the UK.

John Lamont: The Government has taken decisive action to support households and businesses across the UK, including in Scotland, through the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bills Discount Scheme. In the face of retail energy costs that are expected to remain high through the spring largely due to the illegal war in Ukraine, the Government is maintaining the Energy Price Guarantee for an additional three months, until June 2023.

Buildings: Insulation

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on cladding issues affecting buildings in Scotland.

John Lamont: Following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower, the UK Government has committed more than five billion pounds to ensuring that remedial works are carried out as soon as possible to affected buildings in order to protect residents facing the most serious safety risks. The Scottish Government has received consequential funding in the usual way and UK Government officials continue to meet their counterparts regularly to discuss progress on building safety remediation matters.

Food: Scotland

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on promoting and supporting the Scottish food and drink sector.

John Lamont: The Scotland Office takes issues raised by businesses very seriously indeed. That is why we have listened to the concerns of businesses, particularly small businesses, in relation to the Scottish Government's Deposit Return Scheme. I hope that the new First Minister and the Scottish Government will do the same and pause its scheme so that we can work together to find solutions that work for Scotland and the whole of the UK.

Question

Kirsten Oswald: Whether he has made a recent assessment of the impact of the UK leaving the EU on Scotland.

John Lamont: There are many benefits of leaving the EU for Scotland.These include the ability to agree new trade deals and strategic partnerships; to ensure that regulation fits the needs of Scotland and the entire UK; to control our fishing waters; and to improve the competitiveness of our economy whilst maintaining high standards.

Budget March 2023: Scotland

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Spring Budget 2023 on Scotland.

John Lamont: It is my firm view and assessment that the Chancellor’s Budget will have a positive impact for Scotland, by stimulating the economy, attracting investment and creating jobs.This is in addition to providing the Scottish Government with an extra £320m in the Spring Budget, an extra £1.5bn in the Autumn Statement, and a record Block Grant settlement of £41bn per year.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Aviation

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2023 to Question 169225 on Ministry of Defence: Aviation, on how many occasions he has travelled overseas on non-scheduled flights with members of (a) the media and (b) business delegations in the travelling party in the period since 1 January 2021.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Figures for media and business delegation attendance for all international travel events between 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2022 are:Business delegations attending0Media attending16Details for the current period will be available once they are confirmed and released as part of the quarterly published Transparency returns on Gov.UK.

Ajax Vehicles: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the written statement entitled Ajax Payments Update, UIN HCWS652, made by the Minister for Defence Procurement on 20 March 2023, how many (a) operational AJAX vehicles and (b) trained personnel will comprise the trained and deployable squadron to meet initial operating capability.

Alex Chalk: As laid out in my response to Question 169217, achieving Initial Operating Capability (IOC) requires 50 vehicles to be delivered in total. In addition to the 27 identified for the deployable squadron, the remaining 23 will be used by the Army to train crews and maintainers. It is anticipated that circa 115 trained, deployable personnel will be required at IOC as crew, however the precise breakdown will be determined closer to the time depending on operational requirements.Ajax Vehicles (docx, 22.4KB)

DM Gosport

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) Service Family Accommodation and (b) Single Living Accommodation units there are at DE&S Gosport; and how many personnel are based at that site.

Alex Chalk: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Pay

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of increasing armed forces pay in line with inflation; and whether he has made a comparative assessment of the wages of armed forces staff and the wages of public service who have taken part in strikes in 2022-2023 that have been covered by the armed forces.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The annual remit for the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body (AFPRB) and Defence’s annual affordability for the AFPRB’s annual pay award are both agreed with Ministerial colleagues. Last year, the independent AFPRB recommended a 3.75% uplift in pay and other targeted measures, including a 1% cap on accommodation charges. At the same time, the independent Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) recommended a 3.5% award to the most senior officers at two-Star rank and above. All these recommendations were accepted in full. Evidence for this year has been provided to both the AFPRB and SSRB and we are awaiting their 2023 reports. In determining their recommendations, the pay review bodies operate within their respective remits. For the AFPRB, this explicitly includes comparative assessments with other workforces as part of their consideration of the need for the pay of the Armed Forces to be broadly comparable with pay levels in civilian life.

Armed Forces: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, of what rank were the military officers who were Senior Responsible Owners on 1 March 2023.

Alex Chalk: Military officers in the ranks of Rear Admiral, Commodore, Brigadier, and Air Commodore held Senior Responsible Owner posts in the Government Major Projects Portfolio as at 1 March 2023.

Armed Forces: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how Senior Responsible Owners are selected before appointment.

Alex Chalk: Both members of the Armed Forces and civil servants may be appointed as Senior Responsible Owners for Defence programmes on the Government Major Projects Portfolio.For members of the Armed Forces, Senior Responsible Owners are selected through Appointment Boards. The Board will examine the job specification for the role and match an appropriate individual based on past experience and proven skills and qualifications.Civil Servants are appointed through open and fair competition. Selection interviews will be undertaken by senior leaders and routinely include the MOD's Chief Project Officer or an accredited Project Professional. However, in some circumstances it may be appropriate, due to the business need, to move an individual with specific knowledge, skills and experience into a Senior Responsible Owner role.

Armed Forces: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average length of service is of a senior responsible owner.

Alex Chalk: Following the expansion of the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) in June 2021 and the policy to increase time being allocated to leading major programmes, a number of new Senior Responsible Owners (SROs) have been appointed.Across the defence programmes within the GMPP, as at 1 March 23 the average amount of time served in role by the current SROs is 20 months. The tenure of SROs is linked to key milestones for their programmes with an expectation of them spending a minimum of three years from taking up post.

Chinook Helicopters

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the report entitled Defence in a Competitive Age, published by his Department on 22 March 2021, CP 411, whether his Department has completed the retirement of the oldest CH-47 Chinooks.

Alex Chalk: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Norwich South (Clive Lewis) on 11 November 2022 to Question 80797.Chinook Helicopters (docx, 22.4KB)

Peter Brown

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department's recent research into the service history of Flight Sergeant Peter Brown established whether he was paid the same rate of (a) war service gratuity payment and (b) post war service credit upon leaving the Royal Air Force in 1950 as white service personnel of the same rank engaged in the same duties discharged in the same period.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Flight Sergeant Brown would have received exactly the same renumeration as any other member of the Royal Air Force with the same rank, trade, and seniority, regardless of race or ethnicity.

Ajax Vehicles: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the written statement entitled Ajax Payments Update, UIN HCWS652, made by the Minister for Defence Procurement on 20 March 2023, when his Department will pay the balance of the payments to General Dynamics Land Systems UK for the AJAX programme withheld since December 2020.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the written statement entitled Ajax Payments Update, UIN HCWS652, made by the Minister for Defence Procurement on 20 March 2023, whether the balance of the payments to General Dynamics Land Systems UK for the AJAX programme, withheld since December 2020, will be paid irrespective of the new schedule and its milestones.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the written statement entitled Ajax Payments Update, UIN HCWS652, made by the Minister for Defence Procurement on 20 March 2023, at which future milestones in the new schedule future contract payments to General Dynamics Land Systems UK for the AJAX programme will become payable.

Alex Chalk: Future payments will be made against the new schedule and its milestones, conditional on the delivery of compliant and deployable Ajax vehicles and continued progress of remaining trials activity. All payments will be conditional on continued satisfactory progress against the revised contracted schedule and full payment will not be made until all 589 vehicles have been delivered to the contracted requirement. Further specific contractual information remains commercially sensitive.

Ajax Vehicles

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether in the context of the war in Ukraine he has recently reviewed the potential for future use of the AJAX vehicles in (a) surveillance and (b) reconnaissance.

Alex Chalk: The Department continues to study and learn lessons from the conflict in Ukraine. Ajax remains wholly relevant to future warfighting and forms a vital part of the Army system of systems that enables combined arms operations. The open digital architecture and capacity to upgrade Ajax through life ensures it can integrate new systems and evolve to meet emerging threats. As we progressively bring the platform into service, we will continue to test our employment assumptions against the lessons of current conflicts to maximise the opportunities that AJAX presents as part of a combined arms force.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Politics and Government

David Warburton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the security situation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

James Heappey: Sub-Saharan Africa is facing a complex network of security challenges including a rising threat from violent extremist organisations and terrorism.The UK is working with our partners across the region to promote regional stability and collaborate on peace support operations. Furthermore, we are increasing our efforts to support African-led multilateral initiatives, such as the Accra Initiative, to encourage African leadership in responding to security challenges. Our efforts are particularly focused on addressing the drivers of insecurity and instability and building resilience among partners’ armed forces.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Disqualification

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will make an estimate of the number of claimants who will not receive the first Cost of Living payment in 2023 following application of sanctions to their Universal Credit.

Mims Davies: People who have a Universal Credit claim but their award is nulled (received a nil award) during the qualifying period will not be entitled to a Cost of Living Payment. The DWP has published an Impact Assessment of the 2023/24 Cost of Living Payments which is available here. During the qualifying period for the first 2022/23 Cost of Living Payment of £326, an estimated 7,000 households received a nil award due to sanctions. People are only sanctioned if they fail, without good reason, to meet the conditions they agreed to. 97.6% of sanctions in the quarter to October 2022 were applied for failing to attend a mandatory appointment at a Jobcentre. These sanctions can often be resolved quickly by claimants getting in touch and attending their next appointment. If someone with no Universal Credit award due to a sanction re-engages with us they may get one of the later Cost of Living Payments. We will be delivering the means-tested cost of living payments in three separate payments in 2023/24, reducing the chances of someone missing out altogether.

Working Conditions: Temperature

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a maximum temperature in which working practices can take place.

Mims Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ119185, answered on 13th January 2023.

Cost of Living: Suicide

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to increase the level of mental health support for civil servants who deal with people who are suicidal as result of the rise of the cost in living.

Mims Davies: DWP have taken steps to increase staff awareness of the mental health difficulties that may be experienced by our customers, so they can direct them to further support at any stage of the claimant journey. We have carried out a significant review of our mental health learning utilising experts and psychologists. The learning is mandatory for all customer contact colleagues to help better support claimants who may present with mental health issues. The learning supports our colleagues to explore their impact on customers, the steps needed to build relationships and how to respond appropriately to customers’ needs.The Department has an extensive suite of products available to employees from a health, safety and wellbeing perspective. These are easy to find and access for everyone. DWP has an excellent Employee Assist Programme that offers support or counselling for individuals dealing with potentially suicidal customers alongside being fully supported by their line managers.

Restart Scheme

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to expand the Restart scheme in the context of the closure of the Job Entry Targeted Support scheme.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to expand the Restart scheme.

Guy Opperman: First referrals to the Restart Scheme began in July 2021 with an initial focus on those who had been on Universal Credit in the Intensive Work Search (IWS) Regime for between 12 and 18 months. In early 2022, the scheme expanded to Universal Credit claimants in IWS for 9 months with no upper limit and to claimants who are in receipt of Income Based Jobseekers Allowance.

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2023 to Question 166241 on Social Security Benefits: Disqualification, for what reasons his Department is not making data on benefit sanctions readily available; and if he will make an estimate of the cost to his Department of tabulating that data.

Guy Opperman: I refer the Hon Lady to my previous answer to PQ171416 Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

Social Security Benefits

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the evidential basis is for introducing more conditionality for entitlement to benefits.

Guy Opperman: The Department has previously published evidence on the impact of Work Coach Support on Claimant outcomes including JSA Weekly Signing (2015) and the Intensive Activity Programme (2015) JSA Weekly Signing(opens in a new tab) (2015): Jobseeker’s Allowance signing trials (publishing.service.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab) Intensive Activity Programme(opens in a new tab) (2015): Intensive Activity Programme trial evaluation: evidence synthesis (publishing.service.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab).

Social Security Benefits: Carers

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2023 to Question 159058 on Social Security Benefits, what (a) advice and (b) other support his Department provides to claimants who are subject to the benefit cap and the primary carer of a child under three.

Guy Opperman: A full range of support is available to claimants, which includes work coach interviews, national and local provision. This support and advice is ongoing and can include, for example, employment support to help them find work, budgeting support, housing advice and signposting to local authorities to access to Discretionary Housing Payments The Government clearly recognises that high childcare costs can affect parents’ decisions to take up paid work or increase their working hours, which is why the changes to the UC childcare element announced in the Spring Budget 2023 will provide generous additional financial support to parents moving into work and/or significantly increasing their working hours.

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how his Department records data on benefit sanctions; and whether that data is held centrally.

Guy Opperman: Details of how sanctions data is recorded is published in the Universal Credit Sanctions: background, information and methodology.

Restart Scheme

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department is taking steps to help improve access to English for Speakers of Other Languages courses through the Restart scheme.

Guy Opperman: The Restart Scheme offers personalised support to long-term unemployed claimants to help them move closer to or into work. Providers are required to deliver appropriate services to ensure compliance with the Equality Act 2010, including communication with participants who do not speak English as a first language. If a participant has barriers to finding work due to English not being their first language, the provider will consider how best to address this. This may include English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses or other guidance to ensure that the participant can access appropriate support.

Restart Scheme: Refugees

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether refugees can be placed on the Restart scheme.

Guy Opperman: To be eligible for a referral to the Restart Scheme, claimants must be of working age, have the right to work in the UK and live in England or Wales. Once refugees are granted Refugee Status, they may be able to apply for benefits such as Universal Credit and in turn to access Universal Credit employment programmes including the Restart Scheme.

Restart Scheme

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons Universal Credit claimants will wait nine months to be considered for Restart.

Guy Opperman: The Restart scheme is designed to support people who are long term unemployed who might need extra help to move back into employment.Universal Credit claimants can be considered for Restart after 9 months.Early access to the Restart scheme can be considered on a case by case basis, where conversations with a Work Coach suggest this is the most appropriate route for an individual.

Restart Scheme

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to extend the length of the Restart Programme for people who have had a long period of unemployment.

Guy Opperman: The Restart scheme is contracted to provide support for long-term unemployed people for up to 12 months.

Restart Scheme

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how he plans to measure the success of the Restart Programme; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the programme operates effectively.

Guy Opperman: The Department carries out continuous evaluation to assess the impact of the programme on job outcomes, earnings, and intermediate outcomes such as improvements in confidence, well-being and job-searching skills. Management information and Universal Credit data is used to ensure effective delivery. The evidence and good practice identified is fed back to Restart delivery partners with a view to continuously improving our support offer.

Means-tested Benefits: Food Banks

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of families receiving income-related benefits that used food banks in the last 12 months; and what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of that estimate.

Mims Davies: National statistics on food bank use for 2021/22 are available here. We aim to publish statistics for 2022/23 in March 2024. The statistics show that in 2021/22 11% of households in receipt of any income-related benefits had used a food bank in the 12 months prior to the survey.

Employment Schemes

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the policy paper entitled Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper published on 15 March 2023, when the pilots designed to test the effectiveness of the Adjustment Passport with (a) disabled people leaving educational training and vocational programmes, (b) armed forced service leavers moving into civilian employment and (c) contractors and freelancers are due to begin; what the duration of those pilots will be; and how many people will be included in the pilots.

Tom Pursglove: The Adjustments Passport was developed with stakeholders to support transitions into employment. Several pilots are being delivered to test the effectiveness of the passport, including students leaving university and jobseekers moving into work. The use of the Adjustments Passport is voluntary and, therefore, no minimum numbers have been set for the pilots. All the pilots build on the successful delivery of the Health Adjustment Passport pilot delivered in Jobcentre Plus in 2021, which has been rolled out across Jobcentres and is available online at gov.uk. (Health Adjustment Passport - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)). To test the transition from education into employment, a pilot was delivered in universities for a period of 12 months from November 2021 with around 250 disabled students in total, and a further pilot to support disabled people leaving educational training and vocational programmes commenced in February 2023 and is expected to last for a period of 12 months. To support the contractors and freelancers receiving Access to Work, a flexible application was launched in May 2021 alongside a 12-month Adjustments Passport pilot for contractors and freelancers; around 10 people took part in the pilot. The information from this pilot is being reviewed to inform future testing for contractors and freelancers. And to support service leavers with the transition from the armed forces into civilian employment, the Service Leavers Adjustment Passport is being developed with more information expected early in Summer 2023.

Employment: Disability

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many members make up the Disability Confident Leaders Group.

Tom Pursglove: There are currently 20 members of the Disability Confident Business Leaders Group.

Employment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to promote greater recognition of the health benefits of work.

Tom Pursglove: The Government recognises that good quality employment is an important determinant of good health. Safe and accommodating work can:Be therapeutic and reverse adverse health effects of unemployment;Meet important psychosocial needs in societies where employment is the norm; andBe central to individual identity, social roles and social status. The joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Unit (now Directorate) was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health. The existence of the Joint Work and Health Directorate reflects the importance of the shared agenda on employment for disabled people and people with health conditions and work as a wider determinant of health.

Employment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Joint Work and Health Unit is taking to support people to start, stay and succeed in work.

Tom Pursglove: The joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Unit (now Directorate) was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health. The existence of the Joint Work and Health Directorate reflects the importance of the shared agenda on employment for disabled people and people with health conditions and work as a wider determinant of health. A range of Government initiatives are supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, to start, stay, and succeed in work. These include:Increasing Work Coach support in Jobcentres for people with health conditions receiving Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance;Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offering advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work;The Work and Health Programme and Intensive Personalised Employment Support, providing tailored and personalised support for participants;Access to Work grants towards extra costs of working beyond standard reasonable adjustments;Disability Confident, encouraging employers to think differently about disability and health, and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face in the workplace;The Information and Advice Service, providing better integrated and tailored guidance on supporting and managing health and disability in the workplace; andSupport in partnership between the DWP and the health system, including Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies, which combines psychological treatment and employment support for people with mental health conditions.  To tackle rising economic inactivity due to long-term sickness, we announced a wide-reaching package at the Spring Budget to support disabled people and people with health conditions to work. New investment will provide faster access to joined-up work and health support, including for mental health and musculoskeletal conditions; the two leading causes of economic inactivity due to long term sickness.

Employment: Disability

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work has met with the Disability Confident Business Leaders Group in the last year; and when he is next due to meet with them.

Tom Pursglove: In the last 12 months, the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work has met the Business Leaders Group four times. I am due to attend the next quarterly meeting in June 2023.

Occupational Health

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for the Fund to Stimulate Innovation in Occupational Health competition were received by the closing date of 15 March 2023.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the results of the Fund to Stimulate Innovation in Occupational Health competition will be announced.

Tom Pursglove: Access to Occupational Health (OH) services can play an important role in reducing economic inactivity by supporting disabled people, and people with health conditions, to stay and succeed in work. The £1m Fund to Stimulate Innovation in Occupational Health competition was launched on 30th January and aims to increase access to, and capacity in, OH. This competition focusses on innovative service models of OH and better use of technology to encourage access to OH for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and the self-employed. The competition closed on 20th March 2023 and assessment of applications and funding of successful projects will follow the standard Innovate UK processes. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application on 18th April 2023, with projects set to start by June 2023. After this, Innovate UK will publish details of the successful applications on their platforms.

Access to Work Programme

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether an equality impact assessment was undertaken before the Access to Work annual cap was introduced in 2015.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has conducted an impact assessment of the Access to Work annual cap since its introduction in 2015.

Tom Pursglove: An impact assessment was undertaken and published online, prior to the introduction of the upper limit to Access to Work in 2015. A review of the impact assessment was undertaken in 2018 and published online, prior to the Written Ministerial Statement of 20 March 2018 increasing the upper limit from 1.5x national average earnings to 2x national average earnings.

Employment: Arthritis

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she will take to help ensure that people with arthritis can stay in work.

Tom Pursglove: A range of Government initiatives are supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including arthritis, to start, stay, and succeed in work. These include: Increasing Work Coach support in Jobcentres for people with health conditions receiving Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance;Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offering advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work;The Work and Health Programme and Intensive Personalised Employment Support, providing tailored and personalised support for participants;Access to Work grants towards extra costs of working beyond standard reasonable adjustments;Disability Confident, encouraging employers to think differently about disability and health, and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face in the workplace;The Information and Advice Service, providing better integrated and tailored guidance on supporting and managing health and disability in the workplace; andSupport in partnership between the DWP and the health system. To tackle rising economic inactivity due to long-term sickness, we announced a wide-reaching package at the Spring Budget to support disabled people and people with health conditions to work. New investment will provide faster access to joined-up work and health support, including for mental health and musculoskeletal conditions; the two leading causes of economic inactivity due to long term sickness.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking taken to ensure that (a) Support for Mortgage Interest and (b) other support schemes started before the rise in the cost of living offer the same level of support to individuals as they did before that rise began.

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that homeowners remain in their homes despite the rise in the cost of living.

Mims Davies: Support for low-income homeowners is provided through the Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loans scheme. SMI is available for homeowners who qualify for an income-related benefit and are unable to meet their mortgage repayments. The primary purpose of SMI is to enable people to stay in their homes without fear of repossession. SMI makes a contribution towards the eligible mortgage interest and so provides robust protection against repossession. From 3rd April 2023, we will extend the support SMI provides by allowing those on Universal Credit (UC) to apply for a loan after three months, instead of nine. We will also abolish the zero earnings rule to extend support to in-work UC claimants and allow existing SMI claimants to move into work and better support themselves. The interest rate we pay is based on the Bank of England published average and is designed to reflect changes in interest rates by changing when the average varies 0.5 percentage points or more from the rate in payment. The lending industry continue to accept that the rate of SMI we pay may not always reflect the rate of interest charged on the claimant’s mortgage. In April, we are uprating benefit rates and State Pensions by 10.1%. In order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions, the benefit cap levels are also increasing by the same amount. To further support those who are in work, from 1 April 2023, the National Living Wage (NLW) will increase by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over - the largest ever cash increase for the NLW.

Personal Independence Payment

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with colleagues on improving the personal independence payment assessment process for people with fluctuating health conditions.

Tom Pursglove: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a wide range of issues, including PIP; and the department closely monitors all aspects of the assessment process, including how we assess fluctuating health conditions.PIP assessments must consider an individual’s ability to carry out a task over a 12-month period, ensuring that fluctuations are taken into account. The assessment should accurately reflect the impact of variations in an individual's level of impairment, for all health conditions and impairments, as well as those which more typically fluctuate. We published Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper on 15th March 2023. The White Paper responds to feedback from The Health and Disability Green Paper consultation and sets out proposals to support more disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work, as well as to improve the overall experience of, and trust in, the benefits system. In the White Paper, the department set out plans to test, at small scale, the introduction of a new Health Impact Record. This will give people the option of a structured way to present evidence that demonstrates the changing impact of their health condition(s). Information will be collected over a period of time rather than at the point of assessment.

Universal Credit

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the oldest debt was incurred for cases in which Universal Credit was reduced due to historical overpayment of tax credits due to an error made by an official in the last 12 months.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for cases in the past year where Universal Credit has been reduced due to historical overpayment of tax credits due to official error, what the average debt was that each recipient was required to repay.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants had their Universal Credit reduced due to a historical overpayment of tax credits due to an error made by an official in the last 12 months.

Tom Pursglove: Tax Credit overpayments deemed by HMRC to be caused by official error are not transferred to the DWP for recovery where a customer makes a claim for Universal Credit.

Personal Independence Payment

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of how long (a) it takes to complete a Personal Independence Payment application and (b) it will take after the end of the Work Capability Assessment.

Tom Pursglove: The time it takes to clear a claim, and the number of people awaiting a decision, can vary. We are continuing to see an improvement in Personal Independence Payment (PIP) clearance times, with the latest statistics showing that the average end-to-end journey has reduced each quarter from 26 weeks in August 2021 to 14 weeks at the end of January 2023. This means that we’re clearing claims faster than we were prior to the pandemic. The latest release of the PIP Official Statistics, with data available to January 2023, is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-statistics-to-january-2023. Reducing customer journey times for PIP claimants is a priority for the department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service. We will continue to monitor journey times as we develop our reform proposals.

NHS: ICT

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent progress his Department has made with NHS Digital on sharing information between IT systems managed by (a) his Department, (b) hospitals and (c) GPs to help standardise information earlier in the assessment process.

Tom Pursglove: Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper published on 15 March 2023 sets out that we will work with NHS England to explore accessing relevant NHS medical information, with appropriate consent from claimants.Discussions are ongoing and we are currently exploring how information is shared between the DWP, hospital and GP IT systems. We are also exploring improvements with the aim of speeding up decision making for claimants and reducing the burden on medical professionals having to supply additional information later in the application process.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of (a) Personal Independence Payment and (b) Universal Credit decisions were overturned at tribunal when the initial assessment was conducted (i) face-to-face, (ii) by telephone and (iii) by video call in the last 12 months.

Tom Pursglove: The table below provides the requested information for Personal Independence Payment. Namely the volume and proportion of initial decisions overturned at appeal, for initial decisions between October 2021 and September 2022. The Universal Credit breakdown is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.  Assessment Type Number OverturnedProportion OverturnedFace-to-face5701.4%Telephone8,5001.7%Video Call2501.0%  Please note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 and percentages to 1 decimal place;The DWP may also undertake paper-based reviews;We have provided data for England and Wales (excluding Scotland) in line with the latest published figures on PIP;Both normal and special rules for the terminally ill cases are included in these figures;These figures include initial decisions following assessment for PIP (New Claims and Reassessments) between 1st October 2021 and 30th September 2022, the latest date for which published data is available; andThese figures include appeal outcomes up to 31st December 2022, the latest date for which published data is available. Note that more appeals could be made and completed after December 2022, so numbers may change as it can take some time for an appeal to be lodged and then cleared after the initial decision.

Employment: Chronic Illnesses and Disability

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the policy paper entitled Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper, published on 15 March 2023, CP 807, what sources will be used to obtain health information for the proposed health impact record; and over what period of time that information will be obtained.

Tom Pursglove: The White Paper sets out ambitious and extensive reforms to ensure that disabled people have the right support, opportunities and incentives to move into, and remain in, work. We will transform the benefits system for the future so that it focuses on what people can do, rather than what they cannot, and ensure people can access the right support at the right time, and have a better overall experience when applying for, and receiving, health and disability benefits. The Health Transformation Programme (HTP) will enable the delivery of White Paper proposals. The Health Impact Record is one of a number of proposed initiatives we will be exploring. The HTP is transforming the entire Personal Independence Payment service and is developing the service carefully and incrementally. We are exploring different options and testing as we go to ensure the new service meets the needs of claimants, including the need to accurately represent their health issues. All our test and learn activity will be planned and prioritised to ensure we learn the right things at the right time to deliver the best outcomes for claimants.

Department for Work and Pensions: Billing

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the proportion of invoices his Department paid to small and medium-sized enterprises within five days in (a) the 2021-2022 financial year and (b) each of the last 12 months.

Mims Davies: All government departments publish payment performance quarterly showing the percentage of invoices paid in 5 days, the percentage of invoices paid in 30 days, and net debt interest liability. This is available on GOV.UK. DWP Department’s payment performance is available at:DWP: prompt payment data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)DWP: prompt payment data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)In addition, in accordance with 113 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015, Contracting Authorities are required to publish annually the percentage of invoices paid in 30 days online. This is available at:DWP: prompt payment data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)The Procurement Bill, currently passing through Parliament, will create a simpler and more transparent procurement regime that will further open up public procurement to SMEs. The Bill includes a new duty on contracting authorities to have regard to the particular barriers facing SMEs.Specifically, the Procurement Bill will imply 30 day payment terms into every sub-contract that is substantially for the purpose of performing a public contract. This will ensure SMEs at every tier of the public supply chain can benefit from faster payments, even if 30 day terms aren't explicitly written into the contract.

Social Security Benefits

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the benefit cap at incentivising claimants who are the primary carer of a child aged under three into work.

Guy Opperman: An assessment has been undertaken and the findings form part of the evaluation of the lower tiered benefit cap which is scheduled to be published in due course.

Department for Education

Skilled Workers: Training

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Skills Builder Partnership report entitled Essential Skills Tracker 2023, published March 2023, which found that older workers tend to have lower levels of essential skills, if she will take steps to promote and benchmark essential skills as standard in (a) apprenticeships, (b) Skills Bootcamps, (c) the sector-based work academy programme and (d) the Returnerships programme.

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Skills Builder Partnership report entitled Essential Skills Tracker 2023, published March 2023, which found that further essential skills are need to help increase in productivity, if she will take steps to develop a skills taxonomy with essential skills sitting alongside (a) basic and (b) technical skills.

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Skills Builder Partnership report entitled Essential Skills Tracker 2023, published March 2023, which found that 17 per cent of workers do not manage to break out of a cycle of low education, basic skills and essential skills, what steps she is taking to help upskill this group.

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Skills Builder Partnership report entitled Essential Skills Tracker 2023, published March 2023, which found that moving from the lower quartile essential skill score to the upper quartile essential skill score is associated with a wage premium of between 9.4 per cent and 12 per cent, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to use the same skills taxonomies in schools as in job centres.

Robert Halfon: The department has an ambitious skills agenda, backed by £3.8 billion of investment. The department is using this to build a skills system that is employer focused, high quality, and fit for the future. Our skills reforms provide a ladder of opportunity that enables young people and adults to attain good jobs and progress in their careers. This begins with the opportunities and social justice needed to access excellent education and skills training. This will help more people to achieve secure, sustained, and well-paid employment and provide opportunities for individuals to progress in their careers. The department funds a range of programmes and services which help learners develop the skills that employers want, including: Skills Bootcamps: These are designed to support local regions and employers to fill in-demand vacancies and increase the skills set and opportunities open to adults. They have the potential to transform the skills landscape for adults and employers through upskilling adults with training that meets key sectoral skills gaps.Apprenticeships: Apprenticeship standards are developed by employers to address their sector skills needs. The knowledge, skills and behaviours in the standard describe the full competence required in the occupation and are developed to be transferable to a range of employers across the sector. The End Point Assessment also ensures that people completing apprenticeships are occupationally competent.Returnerships: In the Spring Budget 2023, the government announced Returnerships, which will provide a clear route back into work and encourage employers to hire older workers through raising awareness of three different pathways: Apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps and Sector-Based Work Academies Programmes.Department for Work and Pension’s (DWP) sector-based work academy programme (SWAPs). Developed by Jobcentres in partnership with employers and training providers, SWAPs offer training, work experience and a guaranteed interview to fill jobs. SWAPs allow people to learn the skills and behaviours that employers in particular industries look for, with individual placements lasting up to six weeks.Careers guidance: The government expects all secondary schools to use the eight Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance to develop and improve their careers provision for young people, including providing them with encounters with employers and the world of work. The Careers & Enterprise Company supports schools and colleges to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks, including connecting them with employers and increasing young people’s awareness of the different pathways available and the types of skills employers are looking for. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gatsby.org.uk/education/focus-areas/good-career-guidance.Skills Taxonomy: The Unit for Future Skills has begun developing a UK-specific skills taxonomy that will provide a common language for skills and mappings between skills, qualifications, and occupations. The first part of the project will focus on developing a methodology for the taxonomy, and will involve engaging with potential users, to ensure the final product provides value across the skills system. It is during this phase of work that the scope of the taxonomy will be determined, including how the different types of skills (such as essential and technical) will be covered. Officials in the department have recently met with the Skills Builder Partnership to discuss this work. We are currently considering options for how the Skills Builder Universal Framework for Essential Skills, alongside other work in this area, might inform or be incorporated into our skills taxonomy.

Sixth Form Education

Mr Louie French: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department is providing to sixth-forms to transition from providing BTECs to T-Levels, including with securing industry placements.

Robert Halfon: The department has extensive packages of support available to ensure schools with sixth forms, sixth form colleges and other providers are prepared to deliver T Levels. This includes:One-to-one support with implementation, planning, and access to networks of other providers offering T Levels.Up-front funding for the additional hours involved in teaching a T Level and funding to support delivery of industry placements.A full range of T Level professional development programme resources and support, including the T Level Professional Development Programme available to all teachers that will teach T Levels.Tailored advice and support to providers to deliver industry placements.Over £400 million in capital funding made available to T Level providers, to bid for new and refurbished buildings and to fund specialist equipment.The department has invested £245 million over the past four years to help providers prepare for industry placements and build relationships with local employers. We recently announced a £12 million employer support fund to reimburse employers for the costs of offering placements. The ‘Connect with employers interested in T Levels’ service enables providers to find employers in their area.

Department for Education: Billing

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the proportion of invoices her Department paid to small and medium-sized enterprises within five days in the 2021-2022 financial year.

Nick Gibb: All government departments publish payment performance quarterly showing the percentage of invoices paid in five days, the percentage of invoices paid in 30 days, and net debt interest liability. The Department's payment performance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1074144/Interest_Liable_BC_by_Qtrs_Publish_2021-22Q4.csv/preview.The Procurement Bill, currently passing through Parliament, will create a simpler and more transparent procurement regime that will further open up public procurement to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Bill includes a new duty on contracting authorities to have regard to the particular barriers facing SMEs. Specifically, the Procurement Bill will imply 30 day payment terms into every sub contract that is substantially for the purpose of performing a public contract. This will ensure SMEs at every tier of the public supply chain can benefit from faster payments, even if 30 day terms are not explicitly written into the contract.

Video Games: Higher Education

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of Universities that offer video games degree courses in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and d) Northern Ireland.

Robert Halfon: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes statistics on higher education (HE) at UK Higher Education Providers (HEPs). Latest statistics refer to the 2021/22 academic year.Table 49 of HESA’s Student Data resources shows the number of HE student enrolments by HE provider and subject of study and can be found at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-49. From this table it can be estimated that there were 75 HEPs in the UK with students enrolled in first degrees in the subject area of ‘computer games and animation’[1] in the 2021/22 academic year. A breakdown of the statistics by UK nation is included in the table below.UK HE with students enrolled in first degrees in computer games and animation* subjects for the 2021/22 academic yearHEP CountryNumber of HEP offering courses in computer games and animationEngland63Northern Ireland0Scotland6Wales6Total UK75Notes:*Counts of HEPs with full-person-equivalent students enrolled in first degrees in the subject area of ‘computer games and animation’.More up-to-date information on the availability of first degrees in video games related subjects currently advertised by providers (additionally including HE in Further Education providers) in the UK can be found by searching ‘video games’ on the DiscoverUni website.[1] Participation in ‘computer games and animation’ was identified using the Common Aggregation Hierarchy third level grouping (CAH03). More information on CAH03 codes can be found at the following link: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/collection/c21051/derived/xcah03.

Pupils

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure pupils affected by staff sickness caused by covid-19 receive the support they need to learn.

Nick Gibb: The Department is focusing on recovering from the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic through an ambitious multi year programme and has made almost £5 billion available for recovery. This funding in education recovery includes £400 million for teacher training opportunities and up to £1.5 billion for tutoring. It also includes nearly £2 billion of direct funding for schools to deliver evidence based interventions based on pupil needs, and over £800 million for additional hours in 16-19 education.This support is focused on helping the most disadvantaged, vulnerable, or those with least time left in education, wherever they live.Head teachers are best placed to determine the workforce required to meet the needs of their pupils. In the case of staff absence, in the first instance schools should follow their usual process for covering absences so that they can continue to deliver face to face, high quality education to all pupils.Some Local Authorities and multi academy trusts operate supply teacher pools, while other schools have found greater efficiency in working with private employment agencies.Where schools choose to engage private agencies, the Department recommends they use the Agency Supply Framework, which is a commercial deal that supports schools with getting value for money when hiring agency supply teachers and other temporary staff. Further details are available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers.

Classroom Assistants: Conditions of Employment

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made for the reasons that teaching assistants are not employed on 52 week contracts.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure that the (a) remuneration and (b) terms and conditions of teaching assistants contributes to their being seen as a vital part of school staff.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she make it her policy to provide more pathways for teaching assistants to become qualified teachers.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure that teaching assistants working with children with SEND are rewarded for studying for qualifications specifically to support children with SEND.

Nick Gibb: The Government values and appreciates the dedication, professionalism and hard work of teaching assistants. The Department knows the valuable contribution they make to pupils’ education alongside excellent teachers and particularly the role they play in supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.The Government’s education reforms gave schools the freedom to make their own decisions regarding recruitment, pay, conditions, and use of teaching assistants. Schools should have the freedom to make these decisions, as they are best placed to understand their pupils’ needs.Many schools pay teaching assistants according to Local Government pay scales. These are set through negotiations between the Local Government Association, which represents the employer, and Local Government trade unions (UNISON, Unite, and the GMB), which represent the employee. The Government does not have any formal role in these matters.The Government believes that headteachers are also best placed to identify and fund training for individual staff that is relevant and of maximum benefit to them, the school and its pupils.Teaching assistants that have a degree can already choose from various routes to become a teacher, including School Direct (tuition fee) and School Direct (salaried). Both routes carry the award of qualified teacher status and some may lead to the award of a postgraduate certificate in education. An alternative route into teaching is through an apprenticeship. Currently there is one live apprenticeship at Level 6: the Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship, which would enable anyone with a degree, including teaching assistants, to receive a salary while they train to become a teacher.

Universities: Student Wastage

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the increases in the cost of living on university student dropout rates.

Robert Halfon: The department recognises the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen this year which have impacted students.Students who have been awarded a loan for living costs for the 2022/23 academic year that is lower than the maximum, and whose household income for the tax year 2022/23 has dropped by at least 15% compared to the income provided for their original assessment, can apply for their entitlement to be reassessed.We are making ongoing assessments of the data available to us on student withdrawals. This includes the Student Loans Company (SLC) reports on notifications received of student withdrawal from higher education (HE), and this data is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/early-in-year-student-withdrawal-notifications-academic-year-201819-to-202223.Authoritative data on students not continuing or completing their HE studies by person characteristics is published by the Office for Students in the ‘Student characteristics data: Outcomes data’ dashboard. This can be accessed at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/student-characteristics-data/outcomes-data-dashboard/.The Office for National Statistics has twice surveyed students directly on the impact of cost-of-living pressures. The most recent report, published 24 February 2023 is available to view here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/educationandchildcare/bulletins/costoflivingandhighereducationstudentsengland/30januaryto13february2023.The next SLC report on student withdrawal from HE is due to be published on 30 March 2023.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement: Qualifications

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress he has made on delivering an agreement with the EU on the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications as committed to in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Leo Docherty: The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) provides a framework to facilitate the recognition of professional qualifications covering the UK and all 27 EU Member States. In May 2021, the Government published technical guidance for regulators and professional bodies proposing professional qualifications for recognition through the TCA framework on GOV.UK. In August 2022 the Government launched a Recognition Arrangements Grant Programme to support regulators' financial costs to agree recognition arrangements. On 3 October 2022, the UK and EU regulators for architecture submitted the first joint recommendation to the Partnership Council. The UK and EU discussed the recommendation at the Services, Investment and Digital Trade Specialised Committee on 20 October 2022 and the Government will publish further updates on the development of this arrangement in due course.

Technology Centre of Expertise: Costs

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK International Technology Strategy published on 22 March 2023, what estimate his Department has made of the (a) cost of establishing and (b) annual running costs of the Technology Centre of Expertise.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The FCDO has an opening budget of £1.8 million of Official Development Assistance (ODA) from existing allocations to establish the Technology Centre of Expertise. A business case is being developed to agree the future spend profile.The International Technology Strategy commits us to delivering a prioritised set of technology-based partnerships with key partners around the world. We will take an effective, coordinated and strategic approach to the partnerships we invest in to deliver mutually beneficial objectives and to achieve the UK's technology ambitions and secure the UK's place as a science and technology superpower.

Technology

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to The UK’s International Technology Strategy, published on 22 March 2023, CP 810, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of (a) establishing and (b) running the Technology Centre of Expertise; by what criteria priority nations for delivering an International Technology Strategy implementation plan were identified; and whether his Department plans to publish a list of those nations.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The FCDO has an opening budget of £1.8 million of Official Development Assistance (ODA) from existing allocations to establish the Technology Centre of Expertise. A business case is being developed to agree the future spend profile.The International Technology Strategy commits us to delivering a prioritised set of technology-based partnerships with key partners around the world. We will take an effective, coordinated and strategic approach to the partnerships we invest in to deliver mutually beneficial objectives and to achieve the UK's technology ambitions and secure the UK's place as a science and technology superpower.

Technology Centre of Expertise: Location

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK International Technology Strategy published on Published 22 March 2023, where the Technology Centre of Expertise will be based.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: A top priority of the International Technology Strategy is to establish the Technology Centre of Expertise, part of British Investment Partnerships, to support sustainable economic growth around the world. The Technology Centre of Expertise will be a digital platform hosted by the FCDO that will signpost our network and partners to repositories of knowledge, evidence and learning resources and provide access to digital and technology expertise from the UK Government, private sector, civil society and academia. Further details will be confirmed in due course as the business case for Technology Centre of Expertise is developed.

EU Countries: Visas

Amy Callaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the EU on making the 90 days within 180 rule for travel to the Schengen area more flexible.

Leo Docherty: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 March 2023 to Question UIN 161257 which can be found on the Q&A webpages: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-03-08/161257

Pakistan: Human Rights

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Pakistani Government on protecting (a) human rights, (b) a free press and (c) peaceful protests in that country.

Leo Docherty: The UK regularly engages the Government of Pakistan at a senior level on the need to respect human rights and uphold the rule of law. Minister for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed the human rights situation with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada on 30 January this year, and with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on 14 December 2022. The British High Commission in Islamabad continues to engage on human rights with the Government of Pakistan, including on freedom of expression and media freedom. On 17 November 2022 the British High Commissioner discussed the issue of media freedom with Pakistan's Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb.

Pakistan: Politics and Government

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Pakistani government on the political situation in that country.

Leo Docherty: We have frequent contact with the Government of Pakistan on a wide range of issues. We respect Pakistan's democratic system and do not interfere in its internal political affairs. We will continue to work with Pakistan to advance our shared priorities and interests, including the promotion of freedom of speech and human rights.

Punjab: British Nationals Abroad

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support and safeguard UK nationals in the Punjab state of India.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We offer consular support and assistance to British nationals worldwide. Any individual in need of consular assistance can contact the nearest British High Commission or Consulate. Our travel advice provides consular contact numbers which, as always, are available 24/7.

Punjab: Internet

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the Government was first made aware that internet in the state of Punjab in India was to be cut off.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We are not aware of any internet blackouts in the State of Punjab. Broadband services continue to operate as normal. The Punjab Government suspended all mobile internet services and some SMS and dongle in the territorial jurisdiction of Punjab from 19 March 2023 at 12:00. Mobile internet and SMS services have since been restored in all districts except Tarn Taran and Ferozepur. Broadband services have remained operational throughout.

India: Diplomatic Service

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many people have had consular assistance in India in each of the last six months; and what proportion of those cases were in the state of Punjab.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The number of new assistance cases in India in each of the last 6 months is:MonthSeptember 2022October 2022November 2022December 2022January 2023February 2023TotalNew Assistance cases in India162733313145183Figures for the state of Punjab are not available as our current case management system does not enable us to isolate data to a sub-national level.

Punjab: Diplomatic Service

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of (a) political tensions and (b) internet blackouts in the state of Punjab in India on his Department's consular operations in that region.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We offer consular support and assistance to British nationals worldwide. Any individual in need of consular assistance can contact the nearest British High Commission or Consulate. Our travel advice provides consular contact numbers which, as always, are available 24/7.We are not aware of any internet blackouts in the State of Punjab. Broadband services continue to operate as normal. The Punjab Government suspended all mobile internet services and some SMS and dongle in the territorial jurisdiction of Punjab from 19 March 2023 at 12:00. Mobile internet and SMS services have since been restored in all districts except Tarn Taran and Ferozepur. Broadband services have remained operational throughout.

Punjab: Human Rights

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will raise allegations of human rights abuses in the Punjab with his Indian counterpart.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK Government has a broad and deep partnership with the Government of India and we discuss all elements of our relationship, including any issues where we have them.

Israel: Foreign Relations

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, to what territory the 2030 roadmap for UK-Israel bilateral relations, signed on 21 March, applies.

David Rutley: The 2030 Roadmap for UK-Israel Bilateral relations was signed on 21 March between the British Government and the Government of Israel. It is a living document reflecting the elevation, in November 2021 of our bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership. The Roadmap does not apply to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Cyprus

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the implications for its policies of illegal settlements and confiscation of property in northern Cyprus by Turkish nationals.

Leo Docherty: Property is one of the most complex and sensitive subjects in the Cyprus Problem. Ultimately, the most effective way to resolve the issues arising from the events of 1974, including property claims, is through the UN-facilitated talks aimed at reuniting Cyprus on the basis of a just and lasting settlement. The UK continues to support the UN-led process and encourage the two sides to return to negotiations.

Global Disinformation Index

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2023 to Question 153719 on Global Disinformation Index, whether that Global Disinformation Index funding is spent solely on activities outside the Commonwealth.

Leo Docherty: Between 2020 and 2021, FCDO funded Global Disinformation Index (GDI) activity covering media markets in South Africa, Australia, Canada, Kenya and India, in addition to markets outside the Commonwealth. As with all GDI work of this kind, GDI operated in a transparent way, for example by informing media companies in advance that they would be included in surveys.Sadly we have seen many examples over recent years of hostile state and non-state actors exploiting online and traditional media based across a wide range of countries for malign purposes. The work of organisations like GDI is critical in identifying and countering this malign use of the information space.

Turkey: Trade Unions

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in Turkey on trade union freedoms in that country.

Leo Docherty: We have long encouraged Turkey to work towards the full protection of fundamental rights, particularly in the area of freedom of assembly. His Majesty's Government has no locus to intervene in Turkish domestic legal cases but our Embassy in Ankara frequently monitors high-profile trials, including recent trials regarding workers' rights and unions. We will continue to raise specific cases with the Turkish government and through the Council of Europe.

Turkey: Conditions of Employment

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Turkish Government on workers’ rights in Turkey.

Leo Docherty: We have long encouraged Turkey to work towards the full protection of fundamental rights. His Majesty's Government has no locus to intervene in Turkish domestic legal cases but our Embassy in Ankara frequently monitors high-profile trials, including recent trials regarding workers' rights and unions. We will continue to raise specific cases with the Turkish government and through the Council of Europe.

Turkey: Elections

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Turkish Government on the upcoming parliamentary elections in that country expected to be held on the 14 May 2023.

Leo Docherty: We are monitoring the run-up to the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey on May 14 and are in regular discussion with the Turkish electoral authorities, the government, opposition parties, civil society groups and the Turkish media. We have stressed the need for the elections to be carried out in a free and fair manner and will continue our dialogue with Turkey throughout the process.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Aviation

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2023 to Question 169226 on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Aviation, on how many occasions that the Secretary of State has travelled overseas on non-scheduled flights with members of (a) the media and (b) business delegations in the travelling party in the period since 1 January 2021.

David Rutley: The FCDO fulfils the requirement, established since 2010, for government departments to publish transparency data in line with the Ministerial Code. The full set of FCDO published transparency returns, which include ministerial overseas travel and senior officials' travel costs (since the department's formation in September 2020), can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fcdo-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings#2020 and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-senior-officials-business-expenses-and-hospitality-april-to-june-2022.The FCDO published transparency returns include the number of officials who accompanied ministers if non-scheduled travel was used but does not specify members of the media or business delegations. To specify members of the media or business delegations would incur a disproportionate cost to the department.

East Africa: Humanitarian Aid

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of frontloading funding for the humanitarian crisis in East Africa.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: This financial year the UK has allocated at least £156 million in humanitarian support to East Africa. The FCDO coordinates with international partners across the region to ensure UK funded humanitarian aid is provided as promptly as possible and is prioritised to those in greatest need.Throughout East Africa the UK also works to build resilience to crises to help limit the impact of shocks such as drought. The UK's resilience building investments have benefitted tens of millions of people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

Trade Promotion: Technology

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many UK Tech Envoys his Department currently has; and whether his Department plans to take steps to increase the number of Tech Envoys.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: It is a priority action of the UK's International Technology Strategy to create the world's most extensive and capable technology diplomacy network, increasing the number of Tech Envoys, increasing our tech expertise across our global network, and uplifting the capability of our diplomats through training, secondments and recruitment. We currently have one Envoy, Joe White, who is based in San Francisco and leads our work with the tech industry in Silicon Valley and we recently announced our intention to recruit a further Envoy in the Indo-Pacific.

East Africa: Malnutrition

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle malnutrition in East Africa, in the context of commitments made in the Integrated Review Refresh 2023, published in March 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The 2023 Integrated Review (IR) Refresh builds on existing policy, including for East Africa as set out in the IR 2021. IR 2021 provided a comprehensive articulation of the UK's national security and international policy in the context of a world moving towards greater competition and multipolarity. The IR Refresh published in March 2023 sets out the continuing priority the UK places on engagement with Africa and elsewhere.The UK's humanitarian support in East Africa, totalling at least £156 million this financial year, is providing millions of people with essential services and supplies to help tackle malnutrition and other concerns. The UK's work in East Africa will be a key part of the campaign referenced in the IR Refresh to improve global food security and nutrition. We will increase the availability, affordability and quality of malnutrition treatment and prevention products to do this. Efforts to develop anticipatory action on famine risk and resilience building are other components the IR Refresh that the UK will progress in Africa to help address undernutrition.

Department for Business and Trade

Trade Agreements: Israel

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the inclusion of a clause in the proposed free trade agreement between the UK and Israel permitting Israel to unilaterally apply that agreement to the Occupied Palestinian Territories on securing an Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement.

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the territorial provisions of the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement entitle Israel to apply that agreement to the Occupied Territories.

Nigel Huddleston: The UK’s position on settlements is clear. The UK does not recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) as part of Israel. This has been long established policy since 1967 and was reconfirmed recently at the UN security council. Under the existing UK-Israel trade agreement, goods originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences under either the agreement between the UK and Israel, or the agreement between the UK and the Palestinian Authority.

Imports: Israel

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the next round of negotiations on the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement, what steps she plans to take to help ensure that goods imported from illegal settlements will not be entitled to the benefits of trade preferences.

Nigel Huddleston: The UK’s position on settlements is clear. The UK does not recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) as part of Israel.This has been long established policy since 1967 and was reconfirmed recently at the UN security council.Under the existing UK-Israel trade agreement, goods originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences under either the agreement between the UK and Israel, or the agreement between the UK and the Palestinian Authority.

Owner Occupation: Foreign Nationals

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Government has taken recent steps to increase transparency on overseas ownership of UK property.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 created a new Register of Overseas Entities to crack down on foreign criminals using UK property to launder money. Government legislated for it within weeks of the invasion of Ukraine, and with the assistance of Parliament expedited regulations needed to launch the Register, which opened on 1 August 2022.Please see my Written Ministerial Statement made on 1 February 2023, which provided an implementation update at the end of the six-month transitional period.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Department for International Trade: Aviation

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many overseas flights were made by Ministers in the Department for International Trade and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy using non-scheduled air transport in (a) 2016, (b) 2017, (c) 2018, (d) 2019, (e) 2020, (f) 2021 and (g) 2022; and on how many of those occasions were representatives of (i) the media and (ii) businesses included in the travelling party.

Nigel Huddleston: The requested information is not centrally held and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the department. Comprehensive details of Senior Officials’ Business Expenses, encompassing overseas and domestic flights are available on GOV.UK.

Trade Agreements: USA

Sir Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to support UK companies to make trade agreements with individual US states; and if she will make a statement.

Nigel Huddleston: The UK is strengthening trade ties with US states, including through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). We have signed MoUs with Indiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina – which, collectively, imported UK goods worth £4.2bn in 2022. We are engaging with further states – including Oklahoma, Utah, Texas, and California.We are using MoUs to catalyse opportunities for UK businesses, such as helping them to access state government procurement markets.We are also seeking to reduce state-level trade barriers, including by supporting recognition of professional qualifications – and were proud to host signature of the Architects’ Registration Board’s mutual recognition agreement with their US counterpart.

Employment: Disability

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department is taking steps with (a) people with lived experience of (i) Parkinson's and (ii) other disabilities and (b) employers to help create more inclusive workplaces.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Department speaks regularly with organisations representing people with disabilities and employer groups on a range of issues, including creating more inclusive workplaces.For example, Scope represents disability groups on the Flexible Working Taskforce, alongside business representative associations and organisations like Carers UK. The Taskforce works with Government to promote more and better flexible working practices, which can be a key component of inclusive workplaces. In December 2022, the Government published its response to the consultation “making flexible working the default”[1]. This committed to make changes to the Right to Request Flexible Working to boost availability, several of which are being taken forward through the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill[2]. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/making-flexible-working-the-default [2] https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3198

Trade Agreements: Israel

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has made an assessment of whether (a) Israeli settlements and (b) other Occupied Palestinian Territories could be excluded from the territorial application of the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement.

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she plans to exclude (a) Israeli settlements and (b) other Occupied Palestinian Territories from the territorial application of the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement.

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement will (a) be compatible with the UK's international obligations and (b) not apply to Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if her Department will make an assessment of the feasibility of excluding (a) Israeli settlements and (b) other Occupied Palestinian Territories from the territorial application of a new UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement.

Nigel Huddleston: The UK’s position on settlements is clear. The UK does not recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) as part of Israel. This has been long established policy since 1967 and was reconfirmed recently at the UN security council. Under the existing UK-Israel trade agreement, goods originating from illegal settlements in the West Bank, are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences under either the agreement between the UK and Israel, or the agreement between the UK and the Palestinian Authority.

Electric Vehicles: Batteries

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the report by the Critical Minerals Association entitled Unlocking security of supply, published in March 2023, whether she plans to take steps to increase the rate of recycling for end-of-life EV batteries.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Our Critical Minerals Refresh, published just this month, reinforces the UK’s Critical Minerals Strategy, and sets out a refreshed approach to delivering resilient critical mineral supply chains. With a focus on the circular economy, our approach includes looking at regulatory ways to promote recycling and recovery. Defra expects to consult on regulations for end-of-life batteries later this year. This will consider measures to promote the recovery, reuse or recycling of all battery chemistry types, including those found in electric vehicles (EVs). As well as £541m for battery research and development through the Faraday Battery Challenge, we are also funding the £30 million National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) Programme, including a centre on technology metals.

Disclosure of Information: Reviews

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the contribution in Westminster Hall on 23 March by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when she plans to bring forward the review of the whistleblowing framework.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government recognises how valuable it is that whistleblowers are prepared to expose wrongdoing, and believes that they should be able to do so without fear of recriminations.The Government announced the review of the whistleblowing framework on Monday 27th March. The Terms of Reference for the review are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-the-whistleblowing-framework.

Industry

Holly Mumby-Croft: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will provide a timetable for her consultation on the British Industry Supercharger.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: On 23 February 2023 it was announced that as part of the British Industry Supercharger, the Government will bring forward a consultation on its measures this coming spring. A specific date will be made clear in due course.

Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill on wages in each of the next five years.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill Impact Assessment and subsequent consultation-stage Impact Assessments for services in rail, fire and rescue, and ambulances were published and all provide an assessment of the potential impact on wages.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Nuclear Power Stations

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the article Location, location, location: finding sites for nuclear power plants by Professor Adrian Bull, published by the University of Manchester on 13 March 2023, if his Department will work with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to adapt their clean-up mission of nuclear decommissioning sites to take account of the need for substantial new nuclear capability.

Andrew Bowie: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has already been providing support to nuclear power developers who are interested in the potential for using the NDA land estate to deploy new nuclear reactors and has signed memorandums of understanding with Rolls Royce and Cwmni Egino in relation to this. They also work with other sectors interested in their land. This work is consistent with NDA’s mission to clean up the UK’s nuclear legacy sites safely, securely and cost-effectively, in order to release sites for other uses.

Energy Supply: Housing

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether there are regions of the UK where it is not possible to build new homes due to energy supply constraints.

Graham Stuart: The Government is aware of lengthy timescales for connection to the electricity network in some parts of the country, that are affecting housing developments. The Government is working with Ofgem and network companies to improve the connection process and release network capacity to accelerate connections.

Energy Charter Treaty

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Government will be voting for the Energy Charter Treaty modernisation package negotiated in 2022 at the Ad Hoc Energy Charter Conference taking place in April 2023.

Graham Stuart: The UK has been a strong advocate for modernising the Energy Charter Treaty, recognising the urgent need to align it with modern energy priorities, international treaty practice and commitments on climate change. The adoption of modernisation has been postponed and the next Energy Charter Conference has not yet been scheduled. The Government is carefully assessing the evolving situation in order to respond appropriately. The Government will keep the House informed of relevant developments.

Carbon Emissions

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the UN Secretary General’s call on 20 March for rich countries to commit to reaching net zero as close as possible to 2040.

Graham Stuart: The Government has committed to reaching net zero by 2050, in line with advice from the UK’s independent Climate Change Committee, and consistent with the findings from the IPCC’s Synthesis Report released on 20th March. The Government set out the steps it is taking to reach net zero and nearer term targets in the Net Zero Strategy, published in October 2021, and the British Energy Security Strategy, published in April 2022. As well as this, the Government urges countries that have not already done so to communicate long-term srategies that align with a 1.5C pathway, as soon as possible.

Pre-payment: Meters

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing funding from the public purse to cover the standing charge for prepayment meters.

Amanda Solloway: The standing charge reflects the on-going costs that fall on a supplier to provide and maintain a live supply to a customer’s premises. As announced in the Spring Budget 2023, the Government will remove the premium paid by households using prepayment meters by bringing their charges in line with comparable direct debit customers until the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) ends. This measure will eliminate the premium paid by households on prepayment meters, which is worth around £45 per year.

Pre-payment: Meters

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the operational costs are for (a) pre-payment energy meters that require (i) card or coin and (ii) remote payment and (b) standard smart meters on direct debit.

Amanda Solloway: In setting the level of the price cap, Ofgem calculates the costs of metering and payment methods, and produces price cap levels for credit meters paying by direct debit and for prepayment meters. This also takes account of different network costs across the network regions. Ofgem’s calculations can be found at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/default-tariff-cap-level-1-april-2023-30-june-2023. The Government has announced that the cost differential between customers paying by direct debit and prepayment customers will be covered through the Energy Price Guarantee from 1 July this year, saving a comparable prepayment meter customer £45 a year on average.

Energy Bills Discount Scheme

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether (a) zoos and (b) aquariums will be eligible for higher-tier support under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.

Amanda Solloway: The new Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) will continue to provide eligible UK businesses and other non-domestic energy users with a discount on high energy bills from April until 31 March 2024. The EBDS took account of sectors that may be most affected by rising energy prices based on energy and trade intensity. A higher level of support will be provided for the most energy and trade intensive sectors who meet agreed thresholds for energy and trade intensity through the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETII) Scheme element of the EBDS. Zoos meet these thresholds but not aquariums.

Radioisotopes

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress his Department has made on developing a domestic supply of medical isotopes as part of the Medical Radionuclide Innovation Programme.

Andrew Bowie: The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero is delivering the up to £6 million Medical Radionuclide Innovation Programme (MRIP) which aims to identify technology and policy options that could support domestic supply of medical radionuclides in the future.MRIP launched in December 2022 and will run until March 2025.The programme will deliver an assessment of the UK supply and demand landscape, building on existing research. It will test data against potential future scenarios to inform policy development and future Government decision-making. Officials are currently finalising Phase I of the Landscape Assessment, with Phase II commencing next financial year to focus on modelling future supply and demand scenarios.In parallel, several feasibility studies are ongoing by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to assess whether the retrieval of radionuclides from legacy material is possible, and whether this material might be useful in supporting domestic supply and research.The Innovation Project Call aims to spark innovation in the field and the competitive call will commence later this year. The call aims to spark innovation across the supply chain, to develop new radionuclide production capability in the UK.

Energy Bills Rebate

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Energy Bill Support Scheme provides equal help to each household when multiple householders have a shared single domestic energy connection for billing purposes but are classed as separate households for council tax and other official purposes.

Amanda Solloway: The Energy Bills Support Scheme provides one payment to each domestic electricity meter in 6 instalments. In instances where a single domestic meter supplies more than one household, one EBSS discount will have been paid and shared between the households. This approach was taken so that delivery via electricity suppliers could commence in time to support households over the winter. The Government has provided further support to help with the energy bills including the Energy Price Guarantee which reduces the unit cost of electricity and gas so that a typical household in Great Britain will save around £700 this winter.

Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project

Mrs Heather Wheeler: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent progress his Department has made on the proposed Xlinks renewable energy interlink with Morocco.

Graham Stuart: The Government is interested in the Xlinks project and has established a dedicated team within the department to consider – without commitment – the viability and merits of the proposal to understand how it could contribute to the UK’s energy security.

Treasury

Workplace Pensions

Simon Jupp: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a list of (a) public sector pension schemes and (b) other occupational pension schemes which are treated as a non-registered scheme by HM Revenue&Customs.

Andrew Griffith: Under the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 (CRCA), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has a statutory duty of confidentiality to protect the information it holds about taxpayers. As a result, it is not possible to confirm the tax status of individual schemes, but many schemes will have made public statements separate to this.

Banks: Rhondda Cynon Taf

Beth Winter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the number of bank branches that have closed in (a) the Cynon Valley constituency and (b) Rhondday Cynon Taff local authority, in each year since 2010.

Beth Winter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) free-to-use and (b) paid-for ATMs have (i) opened and (ii) closed in (A) Cynon Valley constituency and (B) Rhondday Cynon Taff local authority since 2010.

Beth Winter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) shared banking hubs and (b) other community banking services on the ability of people to access banking services.

Andrew Griffith: The Government believes that all customers, wherever they live, should have appropriate access to banking services. Nonetheless, decisions on opening and closing branches are a commercial issue for banks and building societies. The Government does not intervene in these decisions or make direct assessments of these branch networks. Guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority sets out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to reduce their physical branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on the everyday banking and cash access needs of their customers and consider possible alternative access arrangements. This ensures that the implementation of closure decisions is undertaken in a way that treats customers fairly.Regarding the ATM network specifically, LINK (the scheme that runs the UK's largest ATM network) has commitments to protect the broad geographic spread of free-to-use ATMs and is held to account against these commitments by the Payment Systems Regulator. LINK publishes the total number of free-to-use and pay-to-use ATMs across the UK on a regular basis. Further information is available on LINK’s website: https://www.link.co.uk/ Alternative options for access can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and the Post Office. New shared banking hubs are also being introduced, providing basic banking services and dedicated space where community bankers from major banks can meet customers of that bank.

Pensions: Tax Allowances

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of proposals to abolish the lifetime allowance cap per worker who is incentivised not to retire early.

Andrew Griffith: Information on the abolition of the lifetime allowance can be found in the Pension Tax Limits Policy paper Pension Tax Limits - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

International Monetary Fund

Liam Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2023 to Question 153706, when he plans to re-channel the outstanding balance of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) 500 million under the SDR 4 billion; and which multilateral institution he plans to commit those SDR to.

Andrew Griffith: The UK has committed to channelling 4bn Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to countries most in need and has so far announced commitments of SDR 1bn to the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust and SDR 2.5bn to the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust. The Government will continue to carefully consider the best option for channelling our remaining SDR 500m.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Artificial Intelligence: Regulation

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of regulation relating to artificial intelligence technologies; and whether her Department has held recent discussions with relevant stakeholders on this issue.

Paul Scully: We have today (Wednesday 29 March) published our White paper outline our approach for the regulation of AI. Our approach to AI regulation is proportionate, and is focused on real risks, minimising unnecessary compliance burdens on businesses while protecting people and our fundamental values.AI has to date been regulated indirectly by overlapping frameworks, such as data protection and competition, and sectoral regulators, such as FCA and Ofcom. In some cases this led to confusion, gaps, and complexities. The 2021 National AI Strategy made the case for greater coherence, clarity, and coordination in the regulation of AI.Engagement with a wide range of stakeholders has been incredibly important during the progress of our work on AI regulation. We have engaged with a wide array of thought leaders across the international AI ecosystem, and engaged with businesses, regulators, research organisations and civil society groups. Many of these stakeholders are very supportive of our approach to AI regulation.The White Paper we published today sets out a set of principles that regulators should follow when thinking about AI. These are: 1. Safety, security and robustness; 2. Appropriate transparency and explainability; 3. Fairness; 4. Accountability and governance; 5. Contestability and redress.We encourage any stakeholders with an interest in the topic to respond to our consultation.

Broadband: Households

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help deliver nationwide gigabit broadband to 85 per cent of all households by 2025.

Julia Lopez: I am pleased to share that more than 98% of premises in the City of Durham constituency can access a superfast connection, above the national average. More than 61% of premises are also able to access a gigabit-capable connection, which is a significant increase from just 1% of premises in 2019.The Government is committed to working with broadband suppliers further so that 85% of UK premises can access gigabit-capable broadband by 2025. We are on track to achieve our target. At present, over 74% of UK premises can access a gigabit-capable connection, up from just 6% in January 2019.Project Gigabit is the Government’s £5 billion mission to deliver fast, reliable broadband across the UK. More than £1 billion of public subsidy has been made available to broadband suppliers to extend their gigabit-capable networks to rural and hard to reach parts of the country. To date, we have awarded seven contracts in locations from Cornwall to Cumbria, and we have launched a further 14 procurements, which combined will deliver fast, reliable broadband to up to 748,000 premises that would have otherwise missed out.Support is also available for homes and businesses through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. The voucher scheme provides a subsidy of up to £4,500 for residents and businesses in rural areas towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband via local community broadband projects. To date, almost 84,000 vouchers have been used to connect premises to gigabit-capable broadband.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Billing

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the proportion of invoices his Department paid to small and medium-sized enterprises within five days in (a) the 2021-2022 financial year and (b) each of the last 12 months.

Dr James Davies: The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales has paid 90% of the undisputed and valid invoices to small and medium-sized enterprises within five days in the 2021-22 financial year and each of the last 12 months in the 2022-23 financial year.

Cabinet Office

Visits Abroad: Rwanda

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has held discussions with the Home Secretary on the news organisations that attended her 2023 visit to Rwanda.

Jamie Stone: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the Government Communications Service Propriety Guidance.

Jeremy Quin: No.

Department for Transport

Railways: Crew

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to reduce the age requirement to obtain a train driving licence to 18.

Huw Merriman: The Department is currently undertaking a post implementation review of the Train Driving Licences and Certificates Regulations 2010, which establishes the licensing and certification requirements to be a train driver on the mainline railway in Great Britain. The review considers all aspects of the regime, including minimum age requirements. The full findings of the review, including relevant conclusions and recommendations, will be published by the summer, and my Department will consider any options for change in light of the reviews’ recommendations.

Shipping: Conditions of Employment

Kate Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy introduce to a mandatory seafarers welfare charter.

Mr Richard Holden: The Seafarers’ Charter will initially launch on a voluntary basis. We continue to explore options to further enhance seafarer welfare and keep the need for further legislation under review.

Department for Transport: Public Consultation

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many public consultations his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) responded to within 12 weeks of their closing since 12 December 2019.

Jesse Norman: The Department, its executive agencies and arm’s-length bodies publish a large number of consultations and calls for evidence, so collating the information requested would come at a disproportionate cost for the Department. Consultations and calls for evidence are accompanied by other forms of engagement with the public and stakeholders. The Department always aims to publish government responses to consultations in a timely fashion, in line with the Government Consultation Principles, and to keep stakeholders updated on progress.

Department for Transport: Public Consultation

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many consultations that closed before the 31 December 2020 are awaiting a response from his Department.

Jesse Norman: The Department, its executive agencies and arm’s-length bodies publish a large number of consultations and calls for evidence, so collating the information requested would come at a disproportionate cost for the Department. Consultations and calls for evidence are accompanied by other forms of engagement with the public and stakeholders. The Department always aims to publish government responses to consultations in a timely fashion, in line with the Government Consultation Principles, and to keep stakeholders updated on progress.

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many full time equivalent staff in his Department are working on the response to the Managing pavement parking consultation.

Mr Richard Holden: The number of staff working on this issue has varied over time, and will continue to do so, depending on the stage of the project.